Foreigner
by Arana Is
Summary: Prequel to the Yu-gi-oh series. Before they met Gozaburo, the Kaiba brothers had their biological parents. What really happened to them? Delve into the unknown childhood of Seto and Mokuba Kaiba before they were orphans and what led to their tragedy.
1. America

**Chapter 1-America**

I do not appreciate flames, but I do want constructive criticism. I want to become a better writer.

Whenever you see an "r" with a word that should be with a "l" for Seiji, know that's on purpose. It's my attempt at writing a Japanese accent of English.

This story is T for bad language, occasional minor crudeness, racism, and other such stuff. They do not reflect my views, but they were necessary for the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-gi-oh. If I did, Yugi would not have such ridiculous hair. I technically do not own Seto's and Mokuba's parents, but their concepts belong to me. Don't worry. Your favorite C.E.O. will make his appearance.

* * *

A tall Japanese boy of eighteen briskly walked to class. In a sea of foreigners, he stood out like a sore thumb. With his short thick black hair, dark almond-shaped eyes, and golden-toned skin, the man was one-of-a-kind. Nearby, he heard loud laughter of college students. He could not understand the joke. He was confused by it. English, a language which he had studied for years at his school, seemed incomprehensive with its citizens' rapid speech and its mysterious idioms. He had gained high scores in school, but books could only teach so much.

It had been one month since Seiji Nakamura had come to America. He was studying at the Massachussets Institute of Technology with a full scholarship from Japan as an engineering student (1). In Japan Seiji was a top student, ranking among the top ten in the national exams during high school. He even had gotten accepted in Japan's number one school, Tokyo University, but he shocked everyone when he declared that he would study in America. His father declared him to be an idiot. Meanwhile, his mother cried about the distance, asked him how he would ever eat good onigiri, and cited all the horror stories of "those disgusting Americans" that she could think of (2).

Despite his family's cries of discouragement, Seiji decided to pack his bags and move halfway across the world. He had felt utterly confident about his success and opportunity in America. It was all part of his plan. He would study civil engineering at M.I.T., go for his Master's, and find a company to work for (1). Afterwards, when he had made his money, he would return to Japan. Seiji would ready to be the best civil engineer that Japan had ever seen. Maybe he could build that amusement park that he dreamed of. Then, perhaps, Seiji might think about finding that Japanese bride that his mother wished for him.

Now, however, a dose of reality struck him. America stood in his way. Their strange accents distracted him. Their peculiar customs bewildered him. Their strong independent strides, their loud behavior, their odd food. It was all foreign to him. In America he had no friends. Seiji had always been a reserved person, but he had a small group of friends. In America, however, he had no one. When his family called, he never spoke of his loneliness. He was not ready to hear about what a mistake his decision had been.

Evidently, he had been in such deep thought as he walked that he bumped into a taller, extremely muscular man with dark glasses who was holding a cup. The juice drink spurted all over the bulky man, and _luckily_ for Seiji, stained the man's shirt. The monster of a man turned around at the Japanese boy and looked in horror.

"Hey, watch it, you Chinese guy! What the hell are you going to do about this stain?"

Seiji bowed in apology. "I am sorry, sir," he replied in his thick Japanese accent. "I should have watched where I was going. I wirr pay for any dry creaning. Prease accept my aporogy." Then he added, "By the way, I am Japanese, not Chinese."

"HEY!" The muscular man grabbed Seiji's collar with both hands. "I DON'T' CARE IF YOU'RE A CHINK OR A JAP! DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

"Hey!" a female voice cried. "He said sorry. Leave him alone." Seiji turned to find the owner to belong to an extremely stunning woman. A beautiful blue-eyed Caucasian girl with flowing dark brown hair faced him. She could have easily been over five feet eight and had a ferocious look in her eyes that caught Seiji's attention.

"Laura, you're my sister, but stay out of this." The muscular man tightened his grip from Seiji's collar. "This man needs to pay for his mistake."

She scoffed, unperturbed by this man's threat. "Well, Brian, I doubt that shirt could have been worth much. Where was it from?" She smirked. "The local garage sale?"

The muscular man growled, letting Seiji fall to floor. "Hey, I'll let you know that—"

"Leave it," the girl interrupted. "This poor guy's clearly new here, so the last thing he needs is for a complete stranger to give him crap." The beautiful blue-eyed girl walked toward Seiji and held out her hand. Hesitantly, Seiji grabbed the girl's hand and got up.

"I'm Laura. Laura Jones."

"Raura," Seiji repeated. The girl laughed softly. Seiji was confused by this, but her warm smile and kind eyes showed that it meant no harm. He couldn't help but be hypnotized by her beautiful blue eyes. He could stare at them forever.

...

Six years later, Seiji kissed Laura's cheek. She smiled weakly. In her arms a newborn baby was cradled. He had dark brown hair and pale Caucasian skin like his mother. His eyes were a blend of his Asian and Caucasian roots. As his eyes opened, his almond-shaped eyes were a shade of beautiful dark blue.

"He's so perfect!" Laura cried. "He's so wonderful! Oh, Seiji, I don't know how I could be so lucky." Tears poured down her face; she could barely control her happiness.

Seiji stared at his son in wonder. The infant gurgled as he blinked toward him. "Seto." Laura looked back at Seiji. "He rooks rike a Seto."

Laura smiled,. "Seto it is. Welcome, Seto Michael Nakamura. Daddy and I'll give you everything. We'll protect you and give you the greatest happiness." They stared at the baby, loving him as only parents can.

* * *

As you guys already guessed, the Kaiba brothers are biracial in my story. I wanted to keep the Japanese roots of Seto Kaiba, but I wanted to keep him as an American. Plus, it would explain why Kaiba and Mokuba looked different. (Just in case you guys didn't guess.) His mother is a Caucasian American, and his father is Japanese from Japan. I hope you guys get hint of a certain similarity between Kaiba and his father, and it is not that they are reserved or height. Cookies to whoever gets this.

(1) Massachusetts Institute of Technology—also known as M.I.T.-from those who are not from the U.S.—It is one of the most prestigious universities and is known for its sciences.

(2) Onigiri-snack of Japanese formed into triangle or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (edible seaweed) (I got this from wikipedia. Check it for a pic)

Seiji Nakamura is not a genius, but he's very smart.


	2. Puff the Magic Dragon

**Chapter 2 - Puff the Magic Dragon**

Whenever you see an 'r' when there is supposed to be an 'l' for Seiji, know that this is on purpose. This is an attempt to imitate a Japanese accent of English.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-gi-oh nor ever will. If I did, I would deem YGO the Abridged series as the official YGO series. Why? B/c it's so super-special awesome! (All credit goes to Little Kuriboh.) However, I do own this story and will not appreciate it if another very similar story pops up on this or any other website. I also don't own "Puff the Magic Dragon," which belongs to some record company.

Thanks to all who have reviewed and encouraged me to go further with this story. If not for your support, this story wouldn't have continued.

* * *

"Aahhh!" Laura placed a spoon that was full of baby food to the mouth to her one-year-old son. Seto pushed his face away from the spoon. "Come on. Yummy. Yum-my!" Turning his face to the right side, he continued to resist the spoon of banana mush.

"Plane. Look. Plane." She twirled the spoon in the airplane motion towards the infant in attempts to get the child to eat, but the son continued to resist the spoon.

"Hmm. Not hungry, huh?" Laura frowned, as she put down the spoon and looked at Seto in mock disapproval. Seto's blue eyes blinked back at her; then, he raised his hands towards her. Laura grinned and removed him from the baby chair. As she he picked him, he held onto her tightly. He placed his head on her shoulder, clasping onto her yellow cotton shirt.

"Not eating, is he?" Seiji asked as he glanced from an article on stocks that he had finished reading. Seiji had been sitting by them at the wooden kitchen table and reading a newspaper. It was a Saturday afternoon, and they gathered to eat lunch in their tiny kitchen of their small apartment.

"Yes, he's being terribly fussy. I was talking to Mom, and she says it's normal." She looked at Seto as he babbled. "He's so small for his age. He hasn't even spoken yet."

"Don't worry about it. With the number of tarr people in your famiry, I'm sure he won't grow into a runt," Seiji teased, amused at his wife's worry. She tended to exaggerate on everything. "And the doctor says it's normar for kids to not say their first word yet. He's only one."

"Hmm, you know nothing about a mother's worry," Laura mocked playfully. "Useless and ignorant daddy. Right, Seto?" Seiji rolled his eyes as he continued to read his newspaper. "I'm going to sing a song. Shall I sing?"

"Ababa," Seto answered.

"Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea!" Laura started (1). Seiji gave her a look of disapproval.

"What?" Laura smirked. "I'm singing about dragons. Can't I sing a song about fantasy?"

"Dragons are fine. Ruining my child's innocence is not," Seiji retorted.

"Hmm, well, I think you need to stop being such a stiff. Besides, Seto likes it, doesn't he?" She twirled Seto around while he cooed in excitement.

Seiji smiled as he watched Laura play with Seto. Laura made silly faces that caused Seto to coo more. Laura was not the type of girl that Seiji thought he would marry. He always thought he would marry a gentle petite Japanese girl, like his mother wanted, instead of the impulsive American girl that Laura was.

Laura was his perfect other half. She understood his reticence, his work, and his dreams; she loved him, supported him, and, when the occasion arose, argued with him. She had that magical ability to make others love to be around her. When people were around her, they felt a million times better about themselves and the world. She had that allusive ability to talk to people and relate to them in a way that Seiji never could. Sure, she had her moments when she was too impulsive, but that was what he also loved about her. She was able to act on her emotions and didn't let life go.

_Laura was highly desired in college. Aside from her stunning features, she was one of the few women in the engineering department at M.I.T. She stood out among the many people, not fitting the usual stereotype for a typical engineering student: the unattractive male nerd with zero social skills. Many people were attracted to Laura, Seiji, being one of them. Laura was usually nice to everyone, so it was no surprise that Laura was kind to him. Maybe he would have some chance with her, as they were friends and studied together often. However, Seiji had to face reality._

"_Man, you have no chance with her," his roommate informed him._

"_But we're friends..." Seiji started._

_His roommate shook his head. "I'm sorry, Seiji. You're a good guy and all, but you really don't. She's way out of your league. I mean, you're a kind of good-looking when you try a bit, but have you seen her? Plus, you're freaking Japanese. I heard she won't go out with guys that aren't white."_

_Seiji looked downcast. He had heard that she refused a black football player, but he had assumed that she just didn't like him. Could it be possible that she didn't like that guy because of his race? No, Laura wasn't like that, Seiji thought. Was she?_

_..._

_Laura and Seiji sat onto a bed covered with blue comforter at Laura's college dorm room. Seiji glanced at his surroundings. Her side of the walls were covered with posters of football paraphernalia, contrasting the pictures of half-naked male models that covered her roommate's side. A nearby desk was strewn with sports magazine and a messy stack of textbooks. By a cabinet that was adjacent to the bed, a jewelery holder with several accessories, a lipstick, and an alarm clock were placed. _

_It was their second semester of freshman year, and Seiji had only been to her room once. __As he held onto a three-ring notebook, she leaned towards him. Seiji could hear her breathing as she glanced over his shoulder to read the notebook._

_She moved away in disgust and frustration. "Ugh. I don't get this concept for physics. I mean, Faraday's Law (2)? What the hell?"_

"_Don't worry about it," Seiji said. "I teach you. It's very easy."_

"_Since you're here, I suppose that I'll have a chance on this exam," she smiled slyly. Seiji grinned wistfully, loving everything about her. Honestly, he was thrilled that she asked him to tutor her. They were good friends since their first meeting, but, as Laura was an extremely popular person, they usually spent time with each other amidst other friends. Once in awhile, they would head to the dining hall together, have a coffee, or study together. These were few moments that he had alone with Laura._

"_Seiji, do you—" Laura started, but the phone rang at that precise moment. Grabbing her phone receiver, she answered impatiently. "Yes? Oh, David? Hi, how's everything going?"_

_David? Wasn't that Laura's handsome friend in the medical school department? Seiji shifted uncomfortably as he continued to stare at his notes._

"_Now? I'm kind of busy now. I'm studying for my physics exam." She laughed as she played with the telephone cord, while Seiji continued to read the first line. "No. I don't need tuition. I have someone teaching me now." Seiji tried to read the words on the notebook, though none of it made any sense. "Yes, I'm fine. Let's hang out later, okay? Then, you can tell me about that totally awesome party that I'm missing." After saying her byes, Laura placed the receiver onto the base and sighed. "Sorry about that. We should go back to what we're studying, right?"_

_Seiji nodded. He pointed a few problems to her and told her to look them over. Taking the notebook, she started to scribble down a few notes. Seiji looked down at her, wanting nothing more than to kiss her and tell her that he loved her. He loved her big beautiful blue eyes and the way they expressed every emotion that she felt. He loved her long, loose brown hair that flowed near her waist. He loved her warm and confident nature, freely giving others kindness without restriction to who they were. Seiji had been contemplating on the many ways that he could tell her about his feelings, thinking of the several golden opportunities with him. This was an opportunity. He had planned it out, written it down, and come with several scenarios on how he could tell her. None of them seemed appropriate though._

_Laura returned him the problems that she had finished. As he scanned the papers, she glanced at him curiously. "Hmm. You keep forgetting to divide this part of the equation." He pointed to the formula on her notebook. "Just don't rush with it, and you get it."_

"_I see," she glanced at the notebook page. The brunette laughed as she leaned slightly towards him. "I don't know what the hell I'd be doing without you, Seiji. You make things so clear." Seiji blushed. She simply meant about physics, Seiji scolded himself. Don't think too much of it._

"_Umm," Seiji answered after a moment, "you're easy to teach. I, um, I, uh, guess, that's that." He looked at her eyes, yearning to say more. He wanted to say more, but their friendship was something that he prized so much. He would rather be in her life as a friend than not at all._

_Laura suddenly kissed Seiji. It shocked him beyond belief. His hands lay on the bed, not moving from the bed, staying still. He felt utterly paralyzed as her full lips pressed onto his. Her soft full lips. They tasted of the cherry lip gloss that she always used. After a few moments, she pulled apart from him._

_He gawked at her, not knowing how to react._

_ "I like you. Okay, that's a lie. I love you. I realize that it's stupid what I just did, but I felt like I was bursting. Please. I don't want anything to be awkward between us." She ran her hands through her brown hair nervously while exclaiming, "Oh, holy crap! What the hell have I just done? This was not how it was supposed to be!"_

_Seiji blinked. After taking a few moments to register exactly what had happened, he started to chuckle._

_Laura glared at him, looking extremely offended. "Are you kidding me? I'm giving you my heart's deepest feelings, and this is how you treat them, you jerk?"_

_Seiji stopped laughing and grinned at the angry brunette. "Do you know that I've been in rove with you since the day I met you?" Laura's cheeks flushed. "I'm so absolutely in rove with you and haven't had the courage to tell you." He grabbed her porcelain white hands affectionately and held them in his. "Daisuki da yo. (3)" He leaned for a kiss, and she obliged. In this time his mouth actually parted.  
_

_As he separated from her, she grinned giddily. "I suppose it's not everyday that a white girl gets told she's loved in Japanese," Laura replied as she stroked a finger onto his right yellow-toned hand. "That is what you said?" He nodded, feeling a pleasant, almost electric, sensation from her touch. "I'm so glad that I got my roommate to go over her friend's tonight."_

"_Well, I guess you needed to study after all," Seiji replied.  
_

"_I have something else to confess," Laura added mischievously. He quizzically eyed her, confused on what she could mean. _"_I lied. Again," Laura confessed as she grinned sheepishly. "I already understood Faraday's Law. I just wanted to spend time with you. I just couldn't think of any other way to get you over with the exam being so soon."_

_Seiji grinned. "I berieve I can forgive you just fine."_

"Hello? Is someone in here?" Laura waved her left hand in front of Seiji while holding Seto with her right arm. "You zoned out. Where did you go?"

"Just thinking." Laura mouthed weirdo teasingly. "Let me hold Seto for a bit." Seiji grabbed Seto and placed him on his lap. The infant held tightly onto his polo shirt.

"You seem distracted lately. Is something wrong?"

"No, just stress from work." Seiji worked for a huge construction firm that built a lot of structures for other companies. It had been two years since he had joined the company. The pay was not excellent, but it offered career opportunity.

"What's the new project?" Laura asked as she sat down into a black folding chair next to him.

"We're working with a Japanese company on building their new headquarters in America," Seiji answered quietly.

Laura understood his lack of comfort with this. It had been three years since Seiji had talked to his family. When Seiji brought Laura to Japan, it had been nothing short of World War III with the Nakamuras. To his conservative and traditional family, Laura was the good-for-nothing American whore who seduced their precious and honorable son. She could still remember that scene vividly.

"_Otosan, okasan, this is the woman that I want to marry. Please bless us," Seiji stated in Japanese as he and Laura bowed in respect (1).  
_

_Seiji's father's eyes narrowed. Seiji, expecting some response, looked up. For a minute, the father stated nothing. Then, he quietly asked in dangerous tone, "What did you say?"_

"_I want to marry Laura and make her a part of our family. Please bless us." He bowed down again._

_Seiji's father stared at him for a moment. His mother started to cry at his words. Suddenly, his father grabbed his son's head, gripping onto a fistful of black hair towards him. He started to strike the man, beating his son ferociously with his right hand. She understood very little Japanese, but she understood the gist of his father-in-law's words. "GET OUT! GET OUT! TAKE YOU AND YOUR STUPID AMERICAN DOG GIRLFRIEND AND GET OUT OF HERE!" He continued to beat the young man furiously as his mother wailed hysterically. Laura rose in shock. "GET OUT OF HERE! I HAVE NO SON! I DID NOT RAISE MY SON TO DISHONOR ME OR THIS FAMILY! I DID NOT RAISE A USELESS MONGREL LIKE YOU!" With one final smack on his face, Seiji fell down. His hair was mussed, and there was a red mark on his face from the slap.  
_

_Laura hurried towards him with tears in her eyes. She had to something, but Seiji motioned for her to stop. As he looked up at his father, his eyes teared. His father looked away in disgust and walked away. Turning to his mother, he gazed at her pleadingly. "Please, okasan. I love her. Please."_

"_As far as I'm concerned," the woman sobbed, "my son is dead." She looked away, leaving her fallen son on the tatami matted floor._

Not one phone call. Not one letter. Seiji had attempted all form of communication, but nothing worked. The letters were never answered. The phone calls were never reached. When he even sent a picture of his newborn son, there was no response. It was not something that they ever talked about. The hurt was too strong.

"We have a very cute son, don't we?" Laura asked, trying to change her thoughts.

"Yes, we do," Seiji answered. Seto continued to gurgle. "Seto-akachan," Seiji stated as he threw him up in the air and caught him. Seto sounded a glee of delight (5).

"Dada."

"WHAT? Did he just say what I think he said?" Laura exclaimed.

"Dada," Seto repeated, looking at Seiji with a smile in his face. Seiji laughed ecstatically.

"I can't believe this," Laura cried furiously. "I'm his mother. I've been the one who's been more concerned about this. Seto," she told seriously, "say 'Mama.' Ma-ma."

"Dada." Looking at his frustrated mother with utter innocence, Seto smiled.

* * *

(1) Puff the Magic Dragon is a song that was sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary. The group states that the song about loosing childhood innocence, but there are many interpretations that it is about smoking marijuana. Seiji sees this interpretation, knowing how mischievous Laura can be. Obviously, she is aware of this interpretation. Yup, Seiji is a stiff, very much like a certain son of his. No, he will not be a nice version of Kaiba, but they do share some qualities.

(2) Faraday's Law—physics law that summarizes the ways that voltage can be generated. There's an equation for this, but you guys can look this online if you're actually interested.

(3) Daisuki da yo (Day-suki da yo)—the boy's way of saying "I really, really like you" or "I love you."

(4) Otosan-father in Japanese

Okasan-mother in Japanese

(5) Akachan-baby in Japanese


	3. Pits of Hell

**Chapter 3-Pits of Hell**

6/26/08

**Disclaimer: **I do not have the desire to own Yu-gi-oh. If I did have a choice of owning an anime, I'd own Death Note. I'd be so freakin' rich that I could pay my servants to have servants. Come on; a girl needs to be practical.

**Notes:** A shoutout to **KasumiCho **and **loveroffics **for your reviews and to those who added me to your favs and alerts. Hope you enjoy this chap! Sorry for not updating, but I've been busy with exams. I still have them, but I wrote this chapter earlier and felt that it was time to post it after a few corrections. I am no longer writing up Seiji's accent. He's been in the country for a while, so naturally he's learned to say his l's. Besides, I think it distracts from what he tries to say. Oh, I said I would give a cookie to whoever guessed what was the similarity between Seto and Seiji in the first chapter. Remember a certain Kaibaland, an amusement park that Seto created? (I wrote it in the first chap...so it's not random.) Well, that's all I'm giving you. I like you guys so much anyway that I'm giving you all free cookies. Imagine whatever flavor you like. R&R

* * *

If Seiji…..

"On your mark."

Could be in hell…..

"Get's set."

In that exact moment…

"Ready?"

He would.

"HIKE!"

He would have been anywhere but here. Anywhere.

The football was in his hands. Unsure of what to do, Seiji fumbled with the football in his hand as his father-in-law screamed for him to run. Seiji started to run when….

Slam.

Seiji was roughly pushed to the ground. Feeling utterly disoriented, Seiji scrambled to his feet. He slowly got up, removing grass from his jeans.

The football was out of his hands.

Frustrated in annoyance, Seiji stared as Laura dashed to the end zone that she and her brother had marked in the lush green grass for the backyard. Laura jumped excitedly and threw the ball down as she reached it. Making a huge fuss over her win over Seiji, Laura squealed in excitement. As she gave a high-five to her brother and stuck her tongue out childishly at her annoyed father, she continued to create a ruckus over her win. "In your face, Seiji Nakamura! In your face!"

He rolled his eyes at her childishness. Really, Laura could be obscenely competitive over any game. It was quite unhealthy, actually.

Laura, Seiji, and Seto were visiting her parents' house to celebrate Seiji's job promotion to the wonderful and exciting world of middle management. This had been a source of joy for Laura. For him, however, this one was one small step closer to his dream in building the amusement park that he always wanted. Personally, he would have preferred a quiet dinner of three at a nice restaurant, preferably sushi. However, Laura felt that this was a family occasion, which she unfortunately included his in-laws, and promptly invited her entire immediate family to celebrate with them. Unfortunately for Seiji, they agreed and decided to make it as an "American" experience as possible for his benefit. Therefore, they celebrated with half-burnt corn-on-the-cob, overly barbequed ribs, and, to Seiji's utter dismay, hot dogs. Then, her _wonderful_ brother Brian had suggested a game of touch football, a supposedly milder version of American football. Seiji should have known better. He was playing with the competitive Jones; a simple game of chess was not safe.

If Laura actually listened once in a while. There were plenty of things that Seiji would rather be doing than getting tackled and roughly pushed to ground by his wife in touch football. Especially in front of his in-laws.

Seiji sighed as he headed towards the picnic table where Seto was seated. Noticing that Laura still gloated over her win with her brother Brian, he slouched at the table on the seat near his son. The three-year old brunette patted Seiji's shoulders comfortingly. "It's otay, Daddy. Mommy's weally good."

"That's right, Seto," Laura agreed mockingly as she headed towards the picnic table. "Maybe if Seto plays, he might not have lost 28 to 0." Football is such a pointless sport, thought Seiji in aggravation.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to get pushed on the ground in touch football," Seiji groaned as he rubbed his sore leg.

"Do you hear something?" Laura motioned her hand by her ear dramatically. "Oh, I think it's the voice of a sore loser." His brother-in-law Brian snickered.

"Well," a tall, gray-haired man who looked to be in his early sixties, highly annoyed at his daughter's gloating, stated as joined his daughter and son by the picnic table, "I must say that I have never played a game like that in my life. Don't you play sports at all Seiji?"

"Baseball is more popular in Japan. But I've never been good." Seiji was exceedingly irritated by this condescending jab. He knew his athletic ability was nothing short of horrendous, but did they really have to emphasize the obvious? Hopefully, Seto would gain his mother's athletic ability but would not inherit her excessive competitiveness. That would be a nightmare-in-waiting.

"So you were just a complete geek in high school, huh?" This time, his brother-in-law decided to join on this _delightful_ conversation. Seiji silently declared war on the muscular meathead of a brunette wordlessly as he poured himself a soda. The Jones vs. Seiji Nakamura. Seto was his only ally.

"Aw, lay off him. We are here to celebrate his promotion after all." A gray-haired woman in her sixties entered with a thin smile; wrinkles surrounded her full lips as she held onto a chocolate-frosted cake. "Seiji, let's cut the cake. It's devil's food cake." Seiji grimaced momentarily. He hated chocolate. Didn't Laura remember that?

"Cake! Cake! I want a flowa! I want a flowa!" Seto rocked his body excitedly.

"Hey, brat. Shut up for a bit." Brian put a finger by his mouth to signal silence. "If you're good, then they'll give you leftovers."

Seto crossed his small arms in annoyance. "Daddy say I no listen to dog." Seiji choked on his cup of soda; there was a possibility that Pepsi might have been in his nose.

"Anyway," Laura quickly interrupted, "Brian, Mom tells me that you're thinking about starting technical school training in automotive training. That's great. When do you start?"

"Two weeks." He glared at Seto and received a tongue stuck out from him as a response. "Don't you teach that kid manners?"

"You're his uncle. And Laura's older brother. Can't even get respect from a three-year-old?" The elderly man shook his head in contempt as Brian scowled. "Pathetic. If only you did something with your life. Instead of mooching off your parents"

"Dad. This is not the time." She motioned pointedly to Seto. "Plus, we're here for a happy occasion. Right?" Laura looked at her father and brother in that sweet puppy-eyes look that few people could resist. They didn't stand a chance, as Seiji knew and had experienced too well.

"Well, congratulations, Seiji. At least you've made something of yourself." Her father sarcastically smiled. Seiji could not have been more uncomfortable at this compliment. He knew better than to get involved in his father-in-law's and brother-in-law's constant bickering. Reason number two for why he wanted sushi. His in-laws detested the idea of raw fish.

"Now, let's sing! Happy promotion to you! Happy promotion to you! Happy promotion, dear Sei-ji! Happy promotion-and-more-money-at-the-bank-for-Seto-and-me to you!" His in-laws clapped at the end of Laura's song.

His mother-in-law cut pieces of cake and placed them on plastic plates. Everyone grabbed a plate. Seated next to his father, Seto insisted on grabbing the piece with the big blue flower, despite the fact that the piece was too big for him to eat. His fork dug into the blue frosting and put it in his mouth. After he finished eating the frosting, he placed the cake in front of Seiji.

"You shouldn't have taken such a big piece if you didn't want it."

"Yeah. Do you know how many kids are starving in Ethiopia?" Laura hit her elder brother's head at his jibe. Scowling at his pain, Brian rubbed his head softly. "Can't you take a joke?"

"Then, have the maturity to not fight with someone who's three." She continued to eat from her slice.

"Seriously, you two. Let's talk of more important things." Placing the lid on the cake, Mrs. Jones seated herself to the right to Seto. "Now, Laura, tell me you're planning to move from that dingy old apartment of yours. You have more money now."

"First of all, Mom, the neighborhood is not as bad as you're making it out to be. Second of all, these things take time. We're planning to move eventually, but we don't want to rush into anything." Laura dug into her cake with her fork distractedly.

Turning towards Seiji, Mrs. Jones studied him for a moment. "Seiji, tell me that you're planning to move out of that horrible place. I mean, it's a two-bedroom apartment, for God's sake. And the neighborhood's not getting better."

"It's as Laura said, Elizabeth," Seiji answered. He didn't look at her as he answered. The truth was that he was looking into a bigger house, but he really didn't want to involve the Jones in this. Both Laura and Seiji agreed that the last thing that they needed was her parents to control their decision.

"Frank, tell them already. They're so many black people in that neighborhood. It's not that we're being racist or anything, but still..." Elizabeth Jones glanced at her husband for support.

"Your mother has a point, Laura," Mr. Jones stated. "You guys are young and naïve. You know nothing about this world. And Seiji." Mr. Jones gave him a poignant look. "You're an immigrant and new to this country. They'll try to dupe you. You have no idea how they'll try to screw you over. You might be a smart guy in books and stuff, but you have to do what's best for Seto. He's an American, after all."

Seiji almost had no words for this condescending conversation. His first desire was to grab Seto and leave. However, this would probably lead to other issues that he would have to deal with and would also be a bad example for Seto. Therefore, he responded as any family-loving Japanese man would. "I also want what's best for Seto. In Japan we take care of family too."

...

"Listen once in awhile. I told you that I would rather go to a restaurant. But you had to invite your family and look what it has given us." Seiji remarked as the car turned around a road towards their neighborhood. Glancing at the rearview mirror, he noted that Seto was soundly asleep on his car seat.

"What's wrong with wanting to celebrate with family? They're happy for us."

Seiji hissed, "Do you not see how they treat me? Every time I go there, they criticize everything I do. There's never one time, even when I get a promotion, is anything right for them."

"Dad respects you. Brian, well, he's Brian. You know him better than that. He's got a good heart." Seiji snorted at this. Ever since his first meeting where he nearly hit him, Seiji never had any fondness for Brian. The only reason why he dealt with him was Laura.

Seiji parked his car. As he adjusted his seat, he noticed Seto lying down peacefully in his car seat. Laura scooped Seto from his car seat, while Seiji quickly locked the car.

"Is he still sleeping?" Seiji curtly asked.

"Yes. _He_ had a good time after all."

"You can't expect me to have had a _good_ time after that experience."

"I admit that Mom and Dad can be invasive and controlling at times, but they are trying to help." Seto stirred slightly for a moment, only to return to his sleeping position.

"Sure," Seiji whispered gruffly as he opened the door to their apartment complex. "By completely embarrassing me."

"I'm _sorry_ that they care. But I can't change what they do." Seiji and Laura walked up a pair of stairs. Seto did not stir this time. Evidently, he had used the every last bit of his energy by chasing his grandfather at the barbeque.

Stopping by his apartment door, Seiji roughly perused through his keys. "If this is their love, I'd hate to see them as my enemies. Especially that good-for-nothing brother of—"

"They're better than _your_ parents," Laura snapped as she held Seto tighter.

Looking up from his keys, Seiji's eyes filled with anger. "If Seto wasn't here this second…"

"You'd do what?" Laura defiantly stared at him. Her azure eyes did not have its usual warmth; they were icy blue in anger, heeding of danger.

"I don't want to talk to you right now." Seiji returned to door. "We'll discuss this after Seto goes to—"

Seiji stared for a moment at the sight before him. For a few moments, all logical and rational thoughts escaped him. His mind could not process anything. He could not move for a few seconds until some semi-intelligent thinking came to him. "Laura, take Seto and go to the car."

"What the hell? Why are you—"

"GO TO THE CAR NOW! HURRY!" He threw the car key at Laura as she gasped at the view. Catching the keys she hurried down the stairs with Seto held in her arms.

Seiji stared at his apartment. In front of him stood what remained of their home. The apartment was an utter mess. Strewn papers scattered the place, cluttering the floor. Seto's toys joined the papers as broken semblances of themselves. Their old leather sofa was stained with mustard yellow paint. Splinters of glass fell on their floor by their television set, which looked as if had been thrown on the floor.

Yet it was none of these details that shocked him.

On one of the walls, in mustard yellow, it was painted in capital letters, 'GO HOME DIRTY JAP!' At that precise moment, the phone began to ring. As if his mind could not control his body, he went to reach the ringing phone. He picked it up. When he heard a response, his eyes widened.

* * *

Laura totally cheated in touch football. The whole point of the game is to TOUCH the player, not slam them. If you guys don't know what American football is, all you need to know that it's a game that require A LOT of strength and speed, which Seiji sadly lacks.


	4. Woe to the Blue Eyes

**Chapter 4-Woe to the Blue Eyes**

7/9/08

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-gi-oh. I do own this plot, Laura, Seiji, and whatever necessary OCs I introduce in this fic. I've been thinking about seizing Yu-gi-oh copyrights because I want to make all that money from those children's card games. However, they have not replied to my e-mails yet. So, when they reply to 1 of my 999 e-mails that I sent and accept to sell for 1,000 yen (around 10 American), I'll let you know. And if you actually believe any of the crap above, as Seto Kaiba would so eloquently state, "You're an idiot." Just kidding. I know (_hope_) you guys are smarter than that. With the current sad situation that is American economy, my offer is probably worth even less.

**Notes:** Thanks to **loveroffics**,** Stephan Cardin**, **Chickanooka**, and **KasumiCho** for reviewing. Your comments motivate me to write better. Also, I'd like to thank all of you who faved/alerted me, and any shadow readers for reading my story. I can only hope that this chapter won't disappoint. Someone was reading my story (without knowing anything about its YGO background) and told me that whatever I do, don't kill off Seto. Thought that amuse you. Now onto the story…

* * *

Seto latched onto his mother's leg tightly. Peering curiously from his mother's legs, he stared at the strangers in the unfamiliar room. When they returned his glances, he hid again behind his mother's leg. Seto was not usually shy, but the sheer number of the unfamiliar people made him squirm uncomfortably. He did not like their stares. Everything about the environment was completely new to him.

Laura looked at the scared boy. The boy's grip was extremely tight, as his small fingernails dug tightly onto her right leg. Laura was tense about her situation, as she noticed herself and Seto receiving blatant stares from the several occupants in the room. Although Laura was used to unwanted attention easily due to her beauty, Laura tried to draw attention away from her. Yet no quiet behavior could stop these stares. She was in Japan. She and Seto were the foreigners; their unusual blue eyes and brown hair warranted the attention.

Seiji's father had passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Precisely, after Seiji had received the phone call from his mother, he arranged with his boss to take the week off to attend the burial ceremonies. Laura insisted on going with him, stating that he needed some emotional support and did not want to leave him alone. Despite Seiji's protests, Laura packed her luggage and joined Seiji with Seto in her arms at the airport. The whole trip had been uncomfortably silent; the only noise came from Seto's occasional bursts of boredom from being cooped on a plane for so long. Currently, they had attended all the burial ceremonies and were in the Nakamura's small house. It was a small, middle-class traditional Japanese home, bearing a thatched roof, low ceilings, and dark wooden floors. Crowded with several people, a quiet Seiji comforted his sobbing mother at one end of the living room. Relatives and well-wishers leaned onto the wall, looked to each other sadly, and examined the foreigners who stood in the other side of the room. They had heard that Seiji had married a foreigner, but many of them had never had a chance to meet her. They were even more curious on the little specimen of a boy that he had produced with this American stranger. This half-blood boy who hid himself by his mother's leg.

Although Laura barely knew a few words of Japanese, she could sense that they were talking about her child. Some whispered in rapid Japanese discretely, while others, ignoring such courtesy, openly gawked at Seto. The room's atmosphere was mingled with curiosity, shame, and disapproval. Her initial response was to scream at them, but she would have to be on her best behavior if they were to be accepted. It was part of the reason that she had joined Seiji to Japan. Her optimism gave her hope that their relationship and their son would be accepted after all these years if they were seen in person. Seiji had suffered tremendously because he did not have his family's support. Although he never openly stated these thoughts, Laura could tell from his actions. When Seiji saw other children playing with their grandchildren, sadness would enter his eyes. When he passed an elderly Japanese person, there was a look of sorrow. Seiji desperately wanted Seto to be in touch with his Japanese side. He would teach him the language, laughing at Seto's mispronunciations of words. There was a certain excitement in him that Laura only found when he worked on his future plans for his amusement park.

There was one thing that Laura could never give Seiji. Despite her efforts she could never replace the emptiness in his heart. She attempted to help Seiji some familial happiness by trying to improve the relationship between her own family and him. With more communication and connection, she foolishly hoped that he would not feel so lonely. Although she realized that this might be futile, she hoped that Seiji could feel less homesick. She wanted nothing than to take away his sadness and make him feel full again.

"Okasan, it's okay. I'm here now." Seiji comforted his sobbing mother in Japanese. "I'll take care of you. You're not on your own."

His mother continued to wail. The short elderly woman's hair had grayed significantly since their last visit. Her thick hair, normally dignified and tied back in a traditional Japanese bun, was loosely tied back messily. There was a loss of hope and look of desperation upon her countenance.

"Please, okasan. I know that otosan would not want you to be like this. Just talk to me. Please."

"Who's fault do you think this is? Whose FAULT? It's you! YOU KILLED YOUR FATHER! YOU KILLED HIM!"

Seiji looked thunderstruck. In that moment, the other inhabitants turned their attention away from Seto and Laura to this sudden outburst.

"You were always selfish, choosing your ridiculous dream over your family. Did you ever think about us? Did you ever think about anyone?"

No one spoke as they stared animatedly. Seto started to cry as he saw his father getting yelled at.

"Then, you had to marry that American and produce that child!" The elderly woman shuddered at this. "Do you think about anyone? Even your child? Is it always what you want? Is it always about that stupid dream? You dishonorable son!"

The silence continued. The only other sound was Seto's sobs.

"I have no one! No one! I'm on my own now! What will become of me? Your father, Mokuba, he took care of everything! I don't know how handle anything! I'm better off dead! No one cares about me. No one needs me!" The woman started to break down further, hiccupping as she sobbed more fiercely than before.

"Okasan," Seiji pleaded. "Don't talk like this. I need you!"

The woman continued to sob as she turned away from Seiji.

"I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. I am a dishonorable son. I know this, but only take it out on me. Don't take it on Seto. Don't take it out on your grandson. Who else but you will give him that good onigiri? Who else but you can teach him about being Japanese?"

After a moment the woman appeared to stop hiccupping. "Seto? You named him Seto?"

"Didn't you get the letter? I suppose otosan never…" Seiji paused for a moment. "Yes. After Grandpa. Your father. He was my favorite grandparent."

"He used to buy you sweets. He's the one that took you to that amusement park when you were eight. Ever since then, you've had that foolish dream."

"Seto's your blood, okasan." He hugged his mother tightly as she tensed. Turning towards Laura, he motioned towards her to bring Seto. Laura held Seto's arm and pulled him towards Laura.

She turned to the child, who she did not acknowledge for the whole time that he was there, looked at him. The boy was crying on his mother's leg. As the old woman stared at the child, Seto whimpered and turned his body towards his mother.

"He looks like one of them. An American," the stout woman spat disgustedly.

Seiji looked as if he had punched viciously. Did Seto have to suffer for his sin? Would Seto be forced to suffer his father's burden? Seiji's sin? What was his sin? His sin was to fall in love with an outsider. His sin was to marry her. His sin was to dare do something different from what traditional Japanese submissiveness taught when he came to America. The product of his sin was Seto, an innocent three-year-old child who knew nothing but love and affection. Would it destroy him?

Laura, understanding none of the woman's words, bent herself towards the crying boy. "Seto, this is your grandma."

"Gwandma? But Gwandma wives somebere else. Her house don't wook same."

"That's Mommy's Mommy. This woman is also your Grandma. This Grandma is Daddy's Mommy. Daddy loves Grandma very much."

Seto, hearing his mother's comforting words, stopped tearing. Laura gave him a confident smile, got up from her knees, and outreached her hand towards the woman. "Hi, Mrs. Kotoko. I've met you before. Seto's only uncomfortable because he's surrounded by all these new people."

Kotoko slapped her hand and turned away in disgust.

"Laura," Seiji quietly stated. "It might be best if you left us alone."

"It's my—"

"No," Seiji interrupted her. "This is my problem to solve. I'll call you a cab for the hotel."

...

As the cab drove towards the hotel, Laura sat in the back seating, fuming in anger at the world and herself. She hated that Seiji insisted that the grandmother would be easier to handle without her presence. She hated that Seto was left alone with those people who barely considered him as one of their own. Most of all, she hated herself for being utterly useless for the situation. In the end she was the outsider. These people would never accept her as family. She slammed the car's seat with her fist in frustration, causing the driver to mutter "Weirdo" in Japanese. However, Laura could not understand, and if she could, would not have brought herself to care. She wanted nothing more than to get a chance in some level of acceptance. She admitted that she did not fit the ideal persona of a Japanese housewife. Perhaps, she was overbearingly competitive. Perhaps, she was extremely impulsive, such as the time she had been burned her pot roast. Laura had been distracted by a football game on the television. When she returned to the kitchen, she returned to find that it had been a burned crisp. Perhaps—

"We've arrived, ma'am," the driver spoke in his thick Japanese accent. Laura nodded and paid the driver with the yen that Seiji had given her.

Laura left the cab to head towards the hotel that Seiji had chained. Seiji had taken lodge at a hotel room in Domino City, a young westernized modern city near his hometown. If she had been happier, she would have enjoyed the city's scenic beaches and beautiful view. As she headed towards the hotel room, a dark-haired man with thick glasses brushed past her nervously with a heavy file filled with papers. As he briskly walked, she noticed a small paper slip from the file. Laura picked up the paper from the ground.

"Excuse me. Excuse me!" Laura exclaimed. The young man did not seem to notice in any capacity as he continued to briskly walk away. "Hey, you! You with the file! " She rushed to him and tapped him roughly on the back. At this gesture the file fell to the ground, scattering papers on the sidewalk.

"Ugh! I'm going to be late, ma'am! My boss will kill me. I can't talk to you right now!" He bent down and started to pick up the fallen papers.

"Well, your boss would probably fire you if you went because you dropped this paper." She motioned a document towards him. The dark haired man's eye widened. He snatched the paper from her. "You know, it's only polite to say thank you."

"Oh, I'm s-sorry! Th-thanks for everything! My b-boss—he'd have k-killed me. And I only finished college l-last year t-too."

"You got a name, Mr. Stressed? I'm Laura."

"Roland," the man hastily answered. "I'd like to properly thank you, but I'm really in a hurry. C-can I buy you a tra-treat or s-something?" He started to search through his pockets for his wallet.

Laura shook her head. "I hardly think that's necessary. Hurry and go to your boss." The man sighed in his relief and bowed. He hurried away.

What a nervous man, Laura thought. I wonder who his boss is. Her eyes trailed to young man who seemed to be heading towards a limo. From his distressed expression, he seemed to be getting scolded. The man nervously handed the papers towards the person in the vehicle. After a few moments, a tall Japanese man left the confines of the limo. The man might have been an inch shorter than Seiji. Bearing decidedly thick brows and thick dark sideburns, there was an intimidating and greedy air about this man. His expression was snarling in anger, as he barked at his assistant.

"But Master Kaiba, these are last files from the case that Nesbitt has given me. He says that it's the prototype for the new weapon."

"You better figure out where those last files went, or it's your job that's gone, Roland!"

"Y-yes, s-sir!"

The man turned towards Laura's direction. As the intimidating man turned, he saw Laura gaping towards him. The mustached man smiled sensually to Laura, eying her body from head to toe. Then, he headed towards a tall intimidating skyscraper with the letters KC attached. As he turned away, Laura shuddered.

...

It seemed that Kotoko had finally accepted Seto as her grandson. The woman, at first uncomfortable with the blue-eyed child, noted that his eyes were shaped like her father and his jaw structure like her husband's. After a couple of days, she could be seen buying Seto treats and toys. Seto, who at first disliked the old woman, happily obliged her by accepting these gifts and playing with her. After a day he even allowed her to pick him up, though he would quickly go to his father when he had the chance. However, despite her acceptance of Seto, it seemed that Kotoko still held a grudge towards Laura. The American woman was still seen as the seducer who stole her son. When Laura visited the Nakamura's house again, Kotoko ignored any attempts of friendliness from Laura's part. Disregarding her presence, Kotoko silently battled with Laura as though to demonstrate that she still was not welcome as her family.

On the last day, she wailed when Seiji and his family headed towards the airport.

"Why are you leaving me? Stay here in Japan."

"Okasan, I have work. I'm sorry. I can't."

As they boarded their plane at Domino Airport, overwhelming sadness filled Seiji's heart. He paused for a moment by a window, staring at a view of Domino City. Guilt crept inside him for leaving his lonely mother. He had made arrangements with some relatives to take care of her, but his heart would not let go of her feelings of abandonment. In the end, despite any disagreements, Kotoko was his mother. She was a weak woman, unlike strong-willed Laura, highly submissive, and highly dependent on others to take care of her. His father, who had the very stereotype of a Japanese patriarch, easily dominated his meek wife and controlled her. How would she be able to handle being by herself?

When they reached America, they were bombarded with the results of the police report on their home. A policeman disinterestedly informed them that a local group of white supremacists had attacked their home. The policeman had arrested these individuals, stating that these people were no more than harmless thugs who had too much drink. Evidently, one of them thought it would be a fun prank to destroy the local Japanese guy's home. Despite this fact, Laura's parents continued to pester Seiji to move into a better neighborhood with a different demographic. None of these details entered their mind.

When Laura went to look for something that she misplaced in Seiji's desk, she found a crumbled paper. When she inspected it more carefully, she discovered it to be Seiji's plans for his amusement park.

* * *

**Notes:**

Okasan- mother

Otosan-father

Onigiri-snack of Japanese formed into triangle or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (edible seaweed) (I got this from wikipedia. Check it for a pic)

Anyone recognize the assistant? He's Roland, Kaiba's top executive and referee from Battle City Finals. He seems to actually be loyal to Seto Kaiba, unlike the infamous Big Five. I didn't use the Japanese name because I didn't want you guys to be like WTF is that?

I think Gozaburo would be an absolute womanizer. There are fanfics in which Gozaburo sexually abuses Seto Kaiba, but it has never been stated in the actual story (as far as I know). I'll leave the imagination to some other fanfic writer. I think he would be the type of man who would see beautiful women as objects, and Laura would be no exception.

You probably hate Kotoko. I wouldn't blame you if you did. (She's personally different from my grandma who went on a crazy rollercoaster when I was 3. Even my mom won't ever go on any rollercoaster, unless my brother and I trick her…which we are guilty…heehee.) However, one thing that I want to come across is she is a weak-willed woman from an extremely male-dominated society. The woman's role is supposed to be a housewife. The Japan that she grew up in is obviously quite different from the current one. In the Japan that she grew up in, American soldiers were stationed there after World War II. It was quite common to have a lot of dislike towards foreigners because the Japanese felt that they were meddled with. In fact, even now, there is still some prejudice to foreigners. There are some places that only serve Japanese people and refuse service to foreigners.


	5. Keepin' Up with the Jones

**Chapter 5 - Keepin' Up with the Jones**

7/15/08

**Disclaimer:** I dontz ownz YGO, Tom n Jery, & Tertis!)

**Notes: **Thanks to some of the most amazing reviewers around: **Kermita, loveroffics, ml101, Sakura Takanouchi, **and** KasumiCho**. Your feedback is only further motivation to get this chapter out sooner. Also, any other readers, thanks for reading. I also have to thank my utterly annoying brother who's my harshest critic of all. I give him a draft, and he tells me it's boring and corny. I hiss; I moan, cursing the sky of a thousand suns. Okay. Maybe I haven't exactly done any of those things, but, if not for his criticism, this chap wouldn't be half of what it was.

I'm dedicating this chap to** _KasumiCho_** b/c she's awesome reviewer and an amazing writer. She's written a certain story called **_Middle of the Summer_**, which has to be one of the most amazing stories (let alone Seto/OC) that I have laid my eyes on. If you're looking for an actually intelligent story filled with humor, drama, and romance, I highly recommend it.

I changed the summary because I realized people would be like "Who the hell is Seiji Nakamura, and why should we care?"

This is review-welcome zone. Constructive Criticism is included.

* * *

"Oh my God! You are way too cute!" Laura squealed as she inspected her four-year-old son. Seto quizzically looked at her, donning a thick-striped blue and white polo shirt and khaki shorts. His blue eyes glanced over his outfit as his mother continued to beam over her son.

Seto was starting his first day of preschool, and Laura had made all effort to make sure that he was looking his absolute best. Seated at the kitchen table of their new home, Seiji ate breakfast with toast in one hand and a newspaper in his other, watching his wife's childish antics. Recently, the Nakamuras had moved from their small, cramped apartment to a small suburban town known for its excellent school system, safe neighborhoods, and diversity. Seiji and Laura fell in love with their new home from the moment that they saw it. The house was picturesque, warm and inviting. A large four-bedroom, brick colonial house with a welcoming porch and attached patio was placed at the end of a small little avenue. Surrounding the home, a green lawn carpeted the front and back of their home; the only area without green was the small area allotted to the swimming pool, which Seto and Laura instantly were excited. The rooms would be allotted as the following: one master bedroom, one bedroom for Seto, and two guestrooms. Seto was extremely excited about his own room, which his parents decorated in dragon wallpaper and blue carpet.

"Seto, you are going to be the cutest kid ever that comes across in your preschool." She sighed dramatically, clasping her hands together by her chest. "I can see it now. The teachers will praise your name. You will count the most numbers, be the best student, and be worshipped for your cuteness from teachers and parents alike! Then, you will bring home a coloring that I will proudly hang on the fridge. And, finally, you will tell me, 'I love school, but I love being with Mommy most of all.'" Laura pushed her hand by her eyes, as if to brush off the non-existing tears from her face.

"Wow, if you could be ever more ridiculous. Tell me, why did I marry such a drama queen again?" Seiji took a bite from his toast.

"Hmph. Have you _any_ sense of the importance of this event? Seto is going to his first day of school. My child is leaving his nest. I must prepare at all costs."

"Well, dear, Seto will be back to his nest by 3 o'clock. Besides, he's only attending school for three days a week. You sound like a puffed hen with 'my son is the cutest' clucking."

"Oh, shush, Your Boringness. My son is cute, and I'll state so."

Seiji shook his head disapprovingly. It was wiser to return to his morning ritual and read his newspaper than argue with Laura. When Laura was in college, she had debated with a professor for five hours over taking two points off her exam. The professor, growing weary of the brunette's counterattacks, gave up those extra points, earning her a perfect score. The woman could be such a lunatic at times.

"Besides, Seto has advantage of genetics on his side," Laura added importantly.

"And how might that be?" Seiji obliged disinterestedly as he sipped his orange juice.

"It's in the DNA," Laura replied, crossing her arms all-knowingly. "When you have a hot mom like me, absolute adorableness is a given. Recessive genes inherited from Thy Ugliness's mug are countered by my spectacular DNA."

"I give up," muttered Seiji. Laura's mind was currently a no-logic zone. Unnecessary entities like reasoning and common sense were not welcome.

"Mommy, can I stay here? I don't wanna go."

Laura bent on her knees, giving a confident smile at her child. "I know you're scared to be alone, but you'll love preschool. You'll make tons of new friends and have tons of fun. That's how people get different experiences. Don't you want to be a strong big boy for Mommy?"

Seto's almond-shaped blue eyes scanned hers for a moment. "Okay, Mommy. I'll be a big boy for you."

...

"What if he's lonely without me?"

"Then, he'll cry in the corner like a baby for his mommy. He'll be called sissy by the other brats in the class and be bullied by all," Brian answered exasperatingly, seated on Laura's brown leather sofa set. "I swear. You're almost like one of those annoying moms that think their kid's a genius or something." Laura glared at her brother, as he grabbed a couple of VHS tapes from a plastic bag. "Anyway, whaddya wanna watch? _Star Moaners_ or _Lesbians in Wonderland_?"

"Eww! That's disgusting! How can you possibly think about watch such an utterly vile and obscene video in front of me? I'm your little sister. Besides, do your realize the level of social degradation that those women—"

"Yeah, yeah! Heard your feminist crap and not in the mood for it. And to answer your question. It's because I don't care. And don't think your husband so innocent either. I hear the Japanese are freaks." Brian smirked. "But then again that's something you should _really_ know." This earned Brian a punch in the arm. "Ow! That hurts!"

"You're such a douche bag. Why are you here anyway? Why aren't you at something called work?"

"I got fired." Grabbing the remote control, he flipped on the television.

"Fired? What happened?"

"The manager was being an ass. I came fifteen minutes late that day, and he started saying shit like 'I need to stop being late' or whatever. I told him to go fuck himself, and he didn't like that too much."

"Brian, you can't just curse out your boss. You really need the money and can't keep relying on Mom and Dad. You keep complaining that you hate living with them, but how are you going to move out if you keep getting fired?"

"I didn't come here for you to nag me too!" Brian roared viciously. "I came here to escape that! Don't tell me what to do!"

Laura sighed. Her brother's violent temper was a major source for many of his problems in life. "I'll help you find a job. Just keep it."

Brian flipped through the channels hastily. "Someone like you would never understand me. You have everything. Looks. Smarts. Loving family. Even if your husband is that geek Seiji. But me. I get shit. I ain't had anything for ages." This silenced Laura.

While Brian flipped the channel, Laura left the living room. He finally chose a talk show whose guest was a lesbian who was cheating on her girlfriend with her girlfriend's sister. Brian Jones, always a self-proclaimed victim, knew he was a loser. The rugged-looking man shared the same blue eyes and brown hair as his sister, but, while she looked angelically beautiful, he was intimidating and threatening. At 6'4" the man, with his coarse stubble and shaggy unkempt hair, towered over most and held an extremely muscular physique. He hadn't held a job for more than three months and held a girlfriend for even less. At thirty-two years old Brian held the crown title as absolute loser. His only weapons were his fists, which were known to come out in brawls, particularly when he was drunk. Brian, however, hadn't always been such a loser. In high school Brian was the star quarterback with dreams of playing professionally. Earning an athletic scholarship to an excellent state university, he was on his way to the top when he had the accident. In middle of the final game, he ripped his tendon. Instantly, everything was gone. His popularity. His scholarship. His future. He was even more pathetic than a has-been because he almost was.

When Seiji started to date Laura, Brian found himself hating the Japanese man. It wasn't brotherly protectiveness that caused him to loathe the man; Laura had other boyfriends before, and Brian never cared. Seiji, however, was vastly different from her previous boyfriends. He couldn't figure out what that skinny immigrant had that attracted her. Seiji wasn't unattractive, but he wasn't exactly a hunk either. He was not talkative, athletic, or charming. He held none of those golden boy factors that her previous boyfriends had. In Brian's opinion Seiji's only positive attribute was his intelligence. Perhaps, Brian realized that there was permanence to Seiji. Unlike Brian Seiji was steadfast and loyal; he was the responsible family man, always working diligently to give his family a better life. That was something that Brian could never be.

Laura returned with a thick white envelope in her hand. When Brian opened the envelope, he found a thick wad of cash. He ogled at his sister. "This is two thousand dollars. Use it wisely."

"Isn't the husband gonna kill you for this?"

"You're such an ignoramus. I'm a freelance computer consultant. I get projects coming in all the time. Take it or leave it." Laura crossed her arms in irritation. "Let's just say that you're not getting anything for your birthday." Brian smirked at her flippant tone as he pocketed the envelope.

"Anyway, how's the husband?"

"Seiji's better now. After all, his mom died recently." Laura answered softly.

Since six months after their visit to Japan, his mother died from a stroke. It was even more difficult than his father's death. When Seiji thought that no one was around, he cried. The only thing that she could do was put on a cheerful face and make life enjoyable.

"Isn't she a bitch to you?"

"That doesn't matter anymore. She's dead, and Seiji loved her."

Brian glanced at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Divorce him. At least have an affair. I know this guy that digs you. He'd be perfect."

"Don't be an idiot."

"I'm serious. Name's Anderson Keith. Blond. Into football. Super patriotic. Owns the bar that I go to."

"Brian, I am not whoring around so you can get free beer. Especially with a guy who nicknames his kid Bandit. Honestly, I ought to beat the living crap out of you till some sense comes in. I have a perfectly happy marriage. Thanks but no thanks."

Brian shrugged. "Keith'll be disappointed." He returned his attention to the talk show, watching the two lesbian sisters claw at each other while the audience booed excitedly.

...

"So, how was your first day of school?"

"Good. The teachers liked me because I didn't run around crazy like the other boys. Miss Lillian think I'm smart because I know lots of numbers and read best." Seto continued to assemble several Legos together in what appeared to be a well-constructed fort.

"You're such a good kid." Seiji ruffled his son's brown hair, while the boy smiled happily at his father's compliment. "Do you know where Mommy is?"

Seto's expression suddenly became extremely grave. "Mommy says she's working now. Don't bother Mommy, or she'll get mad."

Seiji chuckled. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Daddy, can I play on the computah after Mommy's done? I wanna play Tetwis."

"Tetris?" Seiji scratched his head. "I think you'll need to go to bed by then. How about I put on that cartoon that I rented from video store? Mommy says it's really funny."

Scrunching his nose, Seto shook his head. "Mommy bwought before, and it's weird. I don't get why the cat chases the mouse so much. Can't he find something else to do?"

Seiji smiled. Personally, he disliked Tom and Jerry, but his wife insisted that that it was a childhood classic that must be watched and revered by all generations. "Well, I'm gonna find Mommy, okay?"

"Okay, but be careful. Mommy's gonna get mad," Seto warned with an utterly serious expression.

"Warning taken."

Leaving the living room, Seiji walked up the stairs. At the end of the corridor of the second floor, a door was partially closed. As he entered the room and closed the door gently, he found his wife to be seated at a leather manager's chair by the computer and concentrating fiercely on the screen. His wife had converted one of the guest rooms to an office of sorts, while leaving a bed for any extra guests. The room consisted of with a small bed, a desk with a computer, and a couple of cabinets randomly placed nearby. As Laura rapidly typed away on the keyboard, Seiji walked forward and wrapped his arms around her neck from behind, causing her to pause for a moment.

"Have you washed your hands, taken off your shoes, and made sure you used hand soap?"

"Yes." He tightened his hug around her, embracing her body more fully.

"Don't you think it's too early? I'm busy with work, and Seto's downstairs.

Seiji smirked. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Your seduction skills blow."

"I might need a lesson. I'm completely ready for the crash course." Laura rolled her eyes at the line, while Seiji let her go and stood by her, inspecting the screen. "What are you working on?"

"A Japanese toy company's latest networking program. It's a small company, and the pay isn't much, but the C.E.O. sounds so nice on the phone. I wouldn't mind taking another project from him."

"Hmm. When do you think you'll be done?"

"An hour. Perhaps two." Laura started to type away on her computer, inspecting over a certain file or two. After a minute Laura paused and swiveled her chair around. "How're you feeling? Since the death?" It was the third time that she had talked to him seriously about the topic. He blew her off the first two times whenever she approached him.

"I'm better, Laura. Really. You don't need to worry about me." Laura's eyebrows scrunched in disbelief at his answer.

"You can tell me anything. I'm your wife."

"Just let this go."

She stood up in frustration. "Why can't you talk to me? Why do you feel that you have to deal with everything alone? Don't treat me like a child, Seiji!"

"I'm not. I just don't need you for this."

Laura's eyes narrowed. "You don't NEED me? What am I to you, some white girl that can't understand you?"

"Laura I didn't mean it that way. I—"

"No, you listen!" The brunette's fists tightened, walking towards him. "I have had enough with you hiding your every sad emotion to protect me! Is what happened to you so Japanese that I can't understand? It's death, Seiji, and I want to help! Do you think I'm some weakling? Do you think I can't handle it? Thank you for letting me know that's what you really think of me!"

Seiji suddenly hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She was surprised by this gesture, removing any anger that she had. He nervously fingered her the loose strands of her straight brown hair for a moment. "You don't know how much you mean to me. You and Seto. Having you here is enough."

Laura wrapped her arms around his neck, supporting him tightly. "Where else would I be?"

* * *

**Notes: **

I used to watch Tom and Jerry. If my memory is correct, Seto Kaiba didn't like cartoons. I think it's that episode with Pegasus's bunny obsession. Correct me if I'm wrong on this. I haven't watched the show for years.

Bandit Keith would be 16 at this point, so his dad would probably be middle-aged or in his late thirties.

I figured I should let you know Laura and Seiji's age at this point. They're both around 28.


	6. A Mother's Greatest Worry: Fan Girls

**Chapter 6-A Mother's Greatest Worry: Fan Girls**

7/22/08

**Disclaimer:** I don't ever plan to own Yu-gi-oh. What I want to own is the Dark Knight. Heath Ledger was so kickass as the Joker; I did not think he could pull it off, but who would of thought? Plus, the sales for that thing were insane; my bank account would be set for life.

**Notes**: Keep them Reviews coming! I have wonderful reviewers: **KasumiCho**, **Kermita**, **Sakura Takanouchi**, and **Stephan Cardin. **Also, it seems that more people are reading than before, so I hope you guys are enjoying the read.

Originally I was answering the reviews by PM replying to reviews. However, it would probably be more convenient for everyone if I answered them at the end. I already answered KasumiCho's and Kermita's, but for those I haven't answered they'll be at the end. If this will get me in trouble in any way, let me know. I've been hearing mixed things about this.

* * *

"SETO!"

The six-year-old boy awoke at a sudden high-pitched scream, startling himself as hit his head on the desk. Rubbing his sore head, he awoke to find a chunky dark-haired woman snarling in front of him. Many of the other children cowered at the sight of her in fear of being the next target. The woman was Miss DeVille, the kindergarten teacher. She was infamous for being the strictest teacher in Lincoln Elementary School, let alone kindergarten. There were rumors that she terrified the six-year-olds so much that one kid peed in his pants and immediately fainted afterwards. People spoke of her famous acrylic nails that she liked to tap together when she was annoyed. It was playground legend that her long acrylic nails were given to her by Lucifer himself. Many parents were mystified why was hired to begin with, but there had been gossip among soccer moms that she slept with the Board of Education president. The thick woman was a nemesis of all, but particularly of a very precocious brunette, who was currently in this position. His response to the nightmare in front was to yawn.

"Seto, this is the third time this week! Maybe you should be paying attention instead of sleeping in class! Get up!"

Seto's eyes narrowed. Before his annoying teacher rudely interrupted him, he had been daydreaming about his plans for building his model airplane with his dad. The boy silently stared at Miss DeVille.

"Are you deaf? Get up!" Continue to gaze at the woman, the child defiantly remained his seat. Miss DeVille, highly exasperated by his disobedience, grabbed Seto's arm, pulled him away from the chair, and tugged him towards the front of the class. Attempting to escape from the woman, he wriggled and twisted away from her. However, as general physics will tell you, none of his strength was enough as the blue-eyed boy found himself being roughly pushed to the small chair in a corner of the classroom.

"Sit in the naughty chair. This is where the bad kids go." Turning away from Seto, Miss Deville suddenly smiled sweetly as she faced the class. "Okay. Now boys and girls, who knows what is the color of the light when it says go?"

None of the children raised their hands. They stared back in utter terror. "Hmm. Come on. What's the answer? I'm not going to bite."

The answer to the question is green, Seto thought in aggravation. Why are we learning stuff that I knew when I was four? Promptly Seto slowly edged himself from the seat. Maybe if he was careful enough, he could sneak out of the classroom. He started to tiptoe slowly towards the door.

"Oh come on kids. Anyone?" Silence permeated the room. Many kids looked down, avoiding any eye contact with the teacher. "Green? As in G for Go? Honestly, how can none of you know that?"

Maybe if he could reach the door, he would be able to sneak to the nurse's office, pretend to be sick, and go home. The nurse shouldn't have been a problem, but his mom would be an issue. He reached for the door knob when…

"Where do you think you're going?"

Seto paused. He had hoped that the idiotic teacher would have been so absorbed with her lesson that she would not have noticed. This was an unexpected complication. "Ugh…"

"Seto, do you need to go to the bathroom or something?" She bent towards the child, smiling condescendingly. "When you're in school and want to go to the bathroom, we say 'May I please go to the bathroom?' Right class?"

The class gave no answer. Seto stammered. "Ugh, I…"

"Come with me, boy!" She grabbed Seto's collar, leaving the other students open-mouthed. Opening the door she headed towards the principal's office. Seto writhed at her tight grip with his maximum strength, but it was utterly futile. "I think we need to talk to your parents."

...

"Excuse me, but we don't allow strangers in the building. You need to go to the office to get a school pass," the teacher acidly declared.

Seiji, who had been waiting by the door of the empty classroom for the past half an hour on behalf of his parent-teacher appointment, stopped leaning on the wall and straightened himself. "Oh, I have a meeting with you. I'm Mr. Nakamura. Seto's father." He held out his hand for a handshake.

Miss DeVille frowned, not taking the hand. "I didn't know Seto was half-Korean. Now I think about it his eyes are bit slanted, but…"

"Japanese," Seiji weakly mumbled. The chubby woman did not hear as she seated herself at her desk. "So, I called an emergency meeting with you to discuss your son. He's on a different level from the other students, and I believe it is important that we discuss his educational opportunities."

"Of course." Seiji grabbed a chair and seated himself across from her.

The woman put down a manila envelope on her desk and pulled her hands together, clicking the long, thick acrylic nails together. Pausing for a moment dramatically, she took a deep sigh. "Your son may be retarded."

Pause.

Rewind.

Like WHAT?

Seiji's eyes widened. "Eh-excuse me?" He gasped, almost expecting the woman to scream 'Gotcha' or 'Just kidding.' However, Miss DeVille's expression showed no signs of possible humor and continued to bear a stern expression.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but your son may be mentally incapable. I understand that this is disappointing. It's hard for any parent to learn that their kid isn't bright."

"I th-think that there's a mistake," started a bewildered Seiji. "My Seto learned to read and write by the time he was two-and-half. He's also very fond of computers and highly proficient. My wife's teaching him, and he picks up on it extremely fast."

The teacher sweetly smiled, tapping her acrylic nails a couple of times. "Of course, every parent wishes that their child is the next child prodigy, but, sir, you need the face reality." Seiji gasped as her honey-dripped voice took another dramatic pause. "He's not up to par with his peers. Your son's got behavioral problems, which are probably due to his frustration in lacking the ability to keep up with his fellow classmates. He is so slow that he has trouble following simple directions. Just the other day, he couldn't understand when I told him to get up. Very pathetic. He also rarely participates in class. I feel saddened that he feels unintelligent enough to answer questions. As a teacher, we deal with all kinds of students, and, naturally, it breaks my heart to see such dumb child struggle."

"Listen lady!" Seiji fumed, loosing his usual calmness. "You better stop talking about my kid that way! Seto has never shown any behavioral problems to any of his previous teachers before. In fact, he's only been praised for his brightness! You better re-check who actually has the problem: Seto or you!"

"Ah." Miss DeVille sighed. "I see he takes after his bad behavior after you. I suggest you see a counselor to control your temper. Although Seto is quite slow, he does learn from your example."

Seiji stood up in anger. "Take that back, ma'am!"

"Sir, if you do not calm down, I will be forced to call school security. Now, in my hands, sir, are the results to your son's test." She clutched the manila envelope tightly in her hand with an all-important expression on her face. Opening the envelope, she smiled. "When you see these, scores, I am sure—" Her eyes enlarged as she glimpsed at the paper.

...

"Our son's a genius, huh?" Laura repeated for the fifth time.

"Yes." Laura and Seiji were sitting in the empty waiting room of the special education specialist that the school had recommended. Currently, the specialist was talking to Seto to evaluate his psychological state and assess his capabilities. Laura absentmindedly nodded, quietly returning to her thoughts.

Seiji was perplexed by her silence. "I thought you'd be more thrilled."

"Huh?" Laura looked dazed. "Oh. Right. Him being a prodigy and all."

"What's on your mind? Where's my drama queen today?"

Laura frowned. "Hey! I resent that! I don't always overreact, you moron!" Seiji snickered as she stuck her tongue at him. After a moment her expression sobered again. "I mean, naturally, I'd like a bright kid, but genius. Genius means a level of intelligence that you and I can't fully understand. Can we give our kid a normal life?"

"Honey, you worry too much."

"I know," Laura answered anxiously. "But he's going to be forced to grow up faster because of his intelligence. People are going to have high expectations on him, and I don't want him to be crushed from the pressure."

"Laura, we can take the option for him to study in the gifted program at his school. He'll be with people his own age. Along with that, he can have extra tutoring, so we don't stunt him intellectually."

"That's right, but there's more to Seto than his intelligence!" Laura cried. "I want him to be a well-rounded person. Remember at college? Remember those brilliant kids that always got 100s but knew nothing else? I don't want him to be one of those prodigies that can't joke with regular people and would rather be with machines."

Seiji sighed. "I doubt he'll be antisocial. He's got you as his mother. You're a social butterfly."

"But I worry. I can't help but do so. I'm a mother." Fidgeting with her hands, Laura played with the ends of her hair.

Seiji squeezed her hand comfortingly and reassuringly smiled. "We'll protect him. Don't forget that."

"I suppose." Laura smiled sassily. "I suppose if he ever gets arrogant I could always clock him. Now I can't have any of that behavior!"

Seiji shook his head. "Laura, he'll probably die of embarrassment from your antics! I'm more worried that our kid won't have proper self-esteem."

"Oh, shush, Your Lameness!" Laura pouted. "I just wish I met his teacher. I would have scratched that bitch's eyes out!" Seiji smiled. It seemed that Laura was back to herself again.

"Hmph. This could pose as a problem though." Laura thoughtfully tapped her chin. "Genius, handsome, and athletic? My son's going to have tons of fan girls, isn't he?"

"Well, I suppose he might be a bit popular—"

"Seiji," Laura replied, holding her hands expressively. "You are utterly clueless about the female gender. Popularity is something I can easily accept, but fan girls are a whole different level of worshipping. They can be a mother's greatest worry. Fan girls are a dangerous breed of women that throw themselves at men, and my poor Seto will be a target by them all."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit?"

"Ah!" Laura cried, dismissing her husband's words. "Rabid fan girls are a bunch of highly idiotic women who chase men as sex objects, throw themselves at them at any tiny gesture, and ward off all forms of non-familial female relationships at any costs. If their worshipped idol says 'Excuse me,' they'll stutter, think the sex god loves them, and possibly mail their underwear. And I really don't want to deal with sorting through random underwear when I go through the mail. They mindlessly obsess over every tiny action of their beloved hero, who will never waste a moment's thought on them."

"What are you—?"

"The issue, of course, is extermination." Laura paused deeply. "I suppose I should equip myself with some sort of weapon to deal with those creatures. Hmm. I suppose I should probably arm myself with a broom. That way, when I'm by the door, I can sweep them as they come. But they're like cockroaches. They keep popping back. And it's nearly not creative and efficient enough. What do you think, Seiji?" She paused to look at him.

Seiji stared at her. "Sweetheart, I think you're an absolute idiot."

"Then, why did you marry me?" Seiji rolled his eyes at her as she laughed girlishly. She moved toward him for a moment, beaming at him. "We have such a great kid."

"Yeah. We're very lucky."

"Hmm. Maybe we can be even more lucky." Leaning closer to his ear, she whispered softly, "I'm pregnant."

* * *

**Notes:**

Laura and Seiji went to M.I.T. (Massachussets Institute of Technology) For those of you that have never heard of that school, know that the some of the country's (and world's) brightest go there. If most Americans heard that you went there, they would automatically assume that you were ridiculously smart. Therefore, Laura does have a point because she was surrounded by various kinds of intelligent people. M.I.T. has the highest (or one of) suicide rate; random fact that I learned and remember b/c my brain thought it was interesting.

No offense to Kaiba fan girls or any fan girls. I tease my friend all the time for being obsessed with some British actor. But there are some fan girls who become so extreme that I wonder about their sanity.

* * *

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, aww. Glad you like the story. The reason why it was named 'Keepin' up with the Jones' is more symbolic than anything else. Laura's maiden name was Jones, which I chose because I wanted a common American name and that phrase. You already seem aware of the phrase. For those of you who don't know, it was an American 1950s phrase of trying to keep up with the neighbor in material goods. Basically, if your neighbor had an 18" flat screen TV, you bought a 20". It's ironic if you look at Brian's life. Beyond that stuff, I just really liked the phrase, and I wanted to name a chapter that also.

To **Stephen Cardin**, you just made my day when I saw that. You reviewers sure know how to make a girl feel amazing. Of course I plan to update soon! I already have a full plan for this story and know exactly what direction I'm going in.

* * *

Don't hesitate to leave a review! I tend to write better chapters and update faster with more reviews. I welcome Constructive Criticism as well. I won't what I'm doing wrong without it.


	7. The Urkelfication of Seto Nakamura

**Chapter 7—The Urkelfication of Seto Nakamura**

7/30/08

**Disclaimer:** Yo no poseo Yu-gi-oh. (In English "I don't possess Yu-gi-oh.") See? You learned a little Spanish. Who says fanfiction is a complete waste of time?

**Notes:** 6 REVIEWS! Gracias! Your awesomeness never ends! I have some of the most intelligent reviewers on this website ever; you all give amazing comments. **Comicbookfan, Kermita****, ****loveroffics****, ****Sakura Takanouchi, KasumiCho****, **and **WolfStar713. **Look down for your reviews responses. To all readers, enjoy the next chap.

* * *

"So Mommy's having a baby?" Seto looked taken aback from this information. Seated around brown leather couch of the living room, Laura and Seiji surrounded their six-year-old son as he took in the news.

"Yes," Seiji replied as his eyes twinkle in excitement. "You see the stork's coming to us from the baby factory, and Mommy's going to be having a baby in seven months."

"Hmph." Crossing his arms, Seto frowned as his countenance showed disagreement. "Daddy, I know that storks don't _really_ bring babies."

"You do?" Laura and Seiji gaped as their son nodded importantly.

"Duh? Isn't it obvious?"

With an apprehensive expression, his mother eyed him nervously. "Not that the stork isn't true, because it absolutely and truly is, but how exactly do you think babies are born?"

"Mommy's stomach, of course," Seto informed all-knowingly as almond-shaped blue eyes shined with confidence. "You see, when Mommy and Daddy lie on the same bed and are married, a baby gets put into her stomach. I think God gives it to you if you are good. Then, Mommy goes to the hospital, and they get a special machine to take it out." He put his hand to his chin in confusion. "I don't understand why our neighbor Susie has a baby though. She doesn't have a husband. And she's only seventeen too."

"Seto, let's play with that chess set that your Grandpa brought," Laura added hastily.

Seto's eyes changed to excitement. "Yeah! Grandpa taught me a little. I really like it. I'm gonna bring it." Quickly rushing out of the room, Seto ran to get the chess set.

"Well, that was close," Seiji remarked after a moment.

Laura shook her head. "The pains of having a genius for a son. Way too perceptive."

Seiji grinned lopsidedly, placing both of his arms by his neck. "Well, at least he's got a better chance at full scholarship. You know, college tuition is insane."

"Is money all you think about?"

"Hey, it's a valid point. College tuition is skyrocketing. It says so in the newspapers." He removed his hands from his neck, placing his tanned arms on her belly. "Who know what the price will be when Seto or this little one has to go?" Bending his face towards her stomach, he gave a silly grin and whispered, "Hey, little one. Sorry that you have to be subjected to the horrible hot dogs that your drama queen mommy insists on. You might have to deal with her for seven more months, but she's not too bad."

"Hey, Your Suckiness," Laura declared in annoyance. "What do you have against hot dogs? They're an American classic."

"Honey, what isn't in a hot dog? You Americans and your taste in foods still confuse me."

"Hey, I still don't get the concept behind eating raw fish, but I try it," Laura taunted as her blue eyes sparkled in amusement. "Though I must say, I've been craving chocolate pudding a lot more." She stated as she patted her belly affectionately.

Ding-dong.

"Ooh! They're here!" Laura jumped up from her seat on the couch and rushed to open the door. In front her father, mother, and brother were in front of the door. Her father held a bouquet of flowers and balloons, while her mother held a big gift bag. "Hey! Flowers? You guys!"

"Oh honey, I'm going to have another grandchild!" Her mother Elizabeth hugged her. "Is it a girl or a boy?"

"Don't know yet." After hugging her father, he handed the bouquet of white lilies and balloons. As she smelled the lilies, she took a deep sigh. "Seiji and I want it to be a surprise."

At the moment the little six-year-old approached with a chessboard in his hand. "Grandpa, did you bring me something? Can we play chess? Can you teach me that special move?"

Frank laughed, ruffling the brunette boy's bangs affectionately. "Of course, Seto. Just set up the chessboard. And Grandma has the present for you in her bag." Seto rushed to the living room to set up the chessboard.

"So another halfie, huh?" Brian asked Laura mockingly.

"Oh, shut up, you idiot." Laura lightly punched his shoulder. "The new kid's going be super cute, and you'll just be jealous by your lack of adorableness." Brian rolled his eyes, following her and his parents to the couch.

Seating themselves on their leather couch, the grandfather and grandmother crowded themselves near Seto, who set up further pieces for the chess set.

"So, do you want a brother or a sister, Seto?" Elizabeth asked curiously, while she placed a large gift bag onto the couch.

"Why would I want a sister? All they want to do is play with their dolls or hopscotch all the time," Seto answered disinterestedly as he placed the final pieces on the board. "I'm going to have a brother."

"How do you know?" Elizabeth asked as her blue eyes twinkled in amusement.

"I just think so." He looked at his grandfather. "I'm white, so I'm first." He moved his left pawn to the front.

"How's your teacher?" Frank asked, eying the kid curiously.

"Miss DeVille says that I'm smart. Now she tells the class to be more like me. Grandpa, your move."

"Hmm." He moved a right pawn. "You know, Seto, if you practice this game, you might get really good. Do you know that I made it to the internationals when I was younger?"

Seto's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes. I lost in the semi-finals to this guy. Sumakoro? Sutagoro?" He pondered for a moment, putting a finger to chin. "Ugh. I can't remember. Anyway, his last name was Mouto, and he was Japanese. He ended up winning the tournament too."

"Cool." His eyes brimmed with excitement.

"Great," Brian sarcastically stated, slouching on the leather sofa. "We're turning this one into a geek already? Does he already have his high-water pants and suspenders or do we need Steve Urkel to personally coach him?"

"Shut up, Brian." The grandparents and Laura chimed together.

...

"Can you believe that fumble?" Taking a quick swig from his beer can, Brian stated as his eyes were glued onto the screen.

"I know. I can't believe Marty is playing so badly today. But the other team is playing pretty nasty too." Laura's eyes glued to the screen as she nervously tightened her fists. At five and a half month pregnant, Laura's stomach had become an obtuse round bump. Her straight brown hair, which was usually let loose and parted in the middle, was tied in a loose ponytail. Her usual can of beer that she would enjoy during a football game was replaced by a glass of grape juice. It had been a few hours since Brian had come over to watch the football game as her sole sports companion; she had attempted to get Seiji to watch the game, but, after a few minutes, he proceeded to state that he had other things to take care of and had taken Seto to a friend's.

"The other team is totally cheating. Come on! Oh!" Laura winced as the umpire on the screen made a judgment. Holding a cup of grape juice in her hand, she started to stand up and wave her hands angrily towards the television. "The freakin' retarded umpire! What the hell! You stupid piece of crap! That was freakin' touchdown! You stupid dumb-ass! Are you blind and stupid because your mom's been drinking—"

"Uhumph. Uhmph." Laura turned away from the television to see Seiji grasping onto Seto's shoulders. Seto curiously stared at his mother as she gawked at him wildly.

"—I mean, that may not have been the best judgment. The absolute unnecessary need of that call for that touchdown has been highly misjudged. Highly." Her face contorted into an expression of utter politeness, as if imitating a perfect domestic housewife.

Seiji rolled his eyes. "I see the football game is still on. Seto," he said, turning seriously to his son, "make sure that you don't become or marry a football fanatic. You don't know how much suffering I face."

"Ha. Ha. Just because you Mr. Geekster don't understand the sport doesn't mean that you have to turn my son against football," Laura playfully retorted. "Seto, did you have a good time at Jamal's house?"

"I guess. He had a new video game, so we played. Mommy, can I go on the computer?"

"Sure Seto. Just start it up okay. Do you need my help?"

Seto wrinkled his nose. "Mommy, I already know that stuff." He turned to the stairs in a hurry.

Looking towards Brian Seiji awkwardly stated, "I see you have no work today."

"What's it to you?" Brian baited antagonistically, taking another swig from his can. He crushed the can defiantly, proceeding to toss his can on the floor.

Seiji's eyes narrowed. His eyes wandered to the various beer cans that were strewn over table and floor. If he had not come, his wife would probably have been cleaning after her lazy brother's mess. His wife should have been relaxing more. How inappropriate for Brian to come in and expect himself to be served by her. Also, with the number of cans that had been drunk, Brian would probably end up staying the night. For heaven's sake Seiji didn't run a motel, especially for her vagrant brother. "Laura, have you had anything to eat?"

"I think Brian's ordering pizza."

"You should be eating healthier foods now, Laura."

"Honey, you stress too much about these things. Pizza is perfectly fine." Seiji shook his head as he opened the door to the kitchen. Heading toward the kitchen, he opened a fridge and removed bread, mayonnaise, and few other ingredients from the fridge. As there was a commercial break, Laura followed him to the kitchen with an empty beer can in her hand. "Seiji, why is Seto back so soon from his friend's? I thought that he was staying the night."

Seiji grabbed a clean plate and knife from the dishwasher. "Evidently, Jamal and Seto argued about how to play the game. Seto felt his way was the best way to play, but Jamal didn't. Just kids stuff. He'll get over it."

"Hmm." Laura looked thoughtfully for a minute, while Seiji placed two slices of bread in the toaster. "Sometimes, he prefers computer and chess to playing with kids his age. Seto doesn't have someone who he can relate to at his own age."

"Seto's never shared anything with anyone near his age except at school. It's because he has no siblings. When he becomes a big brother, he'll learn to adjust to others better and deal with kids. Watch. He'll be a protective big brother. Once Seto attaches himself to someone, he's very affectionate."

"But still…"

"Laura, I'm more similar to Seto in this than you are. I'm not always able to relate to people, but I've become much better by being around you and having to deal with situations for myself." Removing the slices of toast from the toaster, Seiji placed the pieces of toast onto a plate and started to spread mayonnaise on a slice. "Seto will learn to share and adjust to people better once the kid comes a long. At the very least, he'll have someone to take care of. Let the kid stand for himself." Quickly, he put lettuce onto the bread.

"I guess." Laura turned around to toss an empty beer can into a waste basket nearby.

"This relates to other things too. You need to let other people besides Seto stand for himself," Seiji declared as he added tomatoes and couple slices of turkey onto the sandwich bread.

Laura stiffened. "What do you mean?"

After he pressed the slices together, Seiji placed the sandwich on a plate near her, motioning for her to eat. "I think you know exactly who I mean. Your brother Brian."

Laura turned around. "Are you seriously giving me grief because he's over today?"

"I'm giving you grief because I know you've been giving him a lot of money. You must have at least given him three thousand dollars in the last three months."

"It's my money. I make it. Why should you have a problem with what I do with it?" Laura defiantly stared at Seiji, baiting him angrily to say more.

"You make it, but you're just feeding his bad habits. What does he do with the money? He goes drinking and gets into fights at the bar that your dad or I has to constantly bail him out of jail. If I were you, I would give him an ultimatum. Get help or cut him off."

"You don't understand the pain that he's going through."

Seiji scoffed, dismissing her counterargument. He had heard this point too many times and was tired of hearing it. "Pain? Yes. Pain. I came to this country with no more than 50 dollars in my pocket and no relatives to support me. I've still made something of myself. Your brother is nothing but a bunch of excuses and needs to get over himself."

Laura's eyes narrowed. "You can be so insensitive."

"Yeah. That's right. Very insensitive. A thirty-four year-old man can't keep a job for long, is constantly getting in trouble with the police, and lives with his parents without being any help to them. If I were your parents, I would kick him out, so he can survive on his own. Then, he'll learn some responsibility."

Laura angrily moved towards him, as her fists tightened. "You're such a bastard. He's my brother, and I can give him my money as I see fit. You don't need to get involved."

"How long are you going to do this?"

"Shut up."

"Seriously, when are you going to listen to what I have to say about this?"

"How did you feel when you stopped dreaming?"

Seiji stiffened. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Turning herself towards him, she faced him directly. "You used to be so happy when you would work on your plans for your amusement parks. You had a dream for yourself. You said you wanted to make a difference, not just pass life by. But your mother said a couple of things, and you automatically stopped."

"Stop this—"

"No. You listen. Brian lost so much a long time ago. Almost everything. Even if you gave up your dream, you still had us. He's never been that close to Mom and Dad, but he has to depend on them, and it hurts his self-esteem a lot. I know eventually he'll make something of himself, but he needs moral support." She tightened her fists. "You gave up your dreams. I don't want to teach our kids to give up on life so easily. Why did you do it?"

"I did it for us!" Seiji angrily cried. "I need to be practical. I can't chase some ridiculous dream when I have a family to take care of."

"Seiji." Placing both of her palms onto one cheek, she held him lovingly. "I never thought your dream was ridiculous. I never thought it was a burden." He quietly looked at the fridge, staring past her as she enveloped her arms around him. Laura desperately wanted him to realize that she supported his vision, even if no one else would.

...

Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

The doorbell continued to ring incessantly. Laura, highly annoyed by this, headed toward the door. She had been napping on the couch, leaving her loose brown hair to be more messy than usual. This pregnancy was taking a harder toll on her than Seto's; her body often felt more tired. She, who was normally energetic, found herself feeling more lethargic than before. The doctor advised her to stop working, even if it was from home. Seiji was extremely worried and argued with her. Hating the very idea of lounging around, Laura continued to work for awhile, but her body wouldn't allow it and interfered. So, reluctantly, she quit, leaving her days watching rented movies, television talk shows, and old football games. She was simply getting tired of being pregnant. If only this baby would come out. However, there were still two more weeks to the due date.

The doorbell continued to ring loudly. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Laura grumbled, holding her hand on her waist. She waddled towards the door, fumbling with gold door lock as she opened it.

As she opened the door, she found before a blond-haired eighteen-year-old. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His clothes were an array of patriotism with his American flag bandana that he tied in his hair; he adorned dark sunglasses and a golden cross necklace on his neck. With a lighted cigarette in his mouth, he took a deep drag.

In recognition Laura's eyes widened. "Your Keith's kid? Bandit, isn't it?"

After taking the quick drag, the teenager threw down his cigarette and stepped on it. After eying her for a moment, he spoke. "Laura Nakamura, we need to talk."

* * *

**Notes:**

Assume Seto Kaiba was born in 1986. I will be using that time frame for his life. They never mentioned a year anywhere as far as I know.

Assume Seto Kaiba is six years older than Mokuba. Therefore, if he's 18, Mokuba is 12. I've heard a lot of conflicting information about their ages, so that will be one of the details that I will play with. It won't drastically change the events of the original story though.

Seiji has a point about hot dogs. If you really think about them, they're really disgusting. They're basically the leftover parts of the animal (like a cow) that the butcher didn't use and grinded together. I still eat one occasionally though.

For those of you who never heard of Steve Urkel, google/whatever internet-search him. He's the super-ultra geek from an old hit American TV show called Family Matters (which I obviously don't own). You'll get a laugh out of thought of Kaiba dressing like him.

* * *

To **Comicbookfan**, thanks for the heads up. It seems it's actually five instead of six. But I can't change anything now. I blame Wikipedia and 4Kids for playing around with ages too much. I'm glad that you like my story and hope you keep enjoying it.

To **Kermita**, you guys do your job really well. Laura has mother's intuition. She has the tendency to worry. I bet a lot of people would have expected her to be super excited that she had a genius son when you look at her other reactions to Seto, but she's not a shallow mom looking to show off to the world on how wonderful her son is.

To **loveroffics**, that was such a great compliment. Words can't express how happy I was. As for Kaiba's parents, they would feel utterly heartbroken and so guilty (even though it's not their fault). Laura would've cried, blame herself, and cry some more. Seiji would try to figure out a way to make things better and would probably leave himself in a room without anyone else to cry when he realize that nothing was going to change. And his grandparents and uncle? Now wouldn't that be interesting?

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, Really? The teacher was a female Gozaburo? I wasn't going for that. She sort of reminds me of my kindergarten teacher in the fact that she was strict and scary. Not much else though. Seiji is way too calm at times. I would've loved to write Laura's reactions, but it would have made less sense with what I was going for. Laura is so much fun to write. She's someone people instantly like being around because she's so much fun and a bit of a drama queen but has a good heart.

To **KasumiCho**, the whole retarded part was a complete joke at first. Just like the notion that Gozaburo is Mokuba's son. But it's so much more fun than 'your son is a genius.' I just had to write the fan girls soliloquy too. My mom was mentioning that one of her friends' sons had tons of girls chasing him and how it annoyed them, so that inspired Laura's two cents on the subject. This story has some humor, but obviously that won't be the main thing.

To **WolfStar713**, welcome new reader. You've entered this strange amalgam that comes from my unknown mind. Okay. Time to stop being weird now. That scene was fun to write. It was one of the first scenes that I came up with for that chapter. Plus, I didn't want to write the stereotypical Dad being all gushy or screaming in excitement.

* * *

Don't forget to review. I'm always curious to know your reactions to the story.


	8. Tidings He Brings

**Chapter 8** **– Tidings He Brings**

8/6/08

**Disclaimer:** I most definitely do not own Yu-gi-oh. If I did, Seiji and Laura would not be OCs.

**Notes:** I'd love to thank the reviewers (**loveroffics****, ****KasumiCho****,**** Setorocksmysocks, Joker's Anarchist Follower, Anime Captain of the Gotei13, susie25**). Whether you believe it or not, your comments mean a lot to me. They help me improve this story by every chapter and help me focus on what works and what doesn't.

I realize that in the original version that Kaiba is only 5 years older, but in this story he is 6 years older. When I wrote the Chapter 6, I had gotten some mixed information from Wikipedia. What done is done, so I won't change it now. If I make any other mistakes, let me know.

**KasumiCho requested a playlist of songs that I related to Foreigner. I put up a link to a website with the playlist and its links on my profile if anyone is interested. If you have any other suggestions, let me know in a review.**

* * *

Angry tears surrounded her blue eyes as Laura drove. A sudden fervor of energy took over her weak body; it was as if her emotions had become a fuel of sorts as she drove. Having no tissue to properly wipe her tears, Laura rubbed her eyes with a left palm while holding onto the steering wheel with her right hand. The words that Bandit Keith had said stuck to her like a spiked arrow to a deer's flesh.

"_If Brian broke something when he was drunk, I'll pay."_

_The blond-haired teenager rudely laughed. He turned a hand to his pocket on his vest to open a pack of cigarettes. Removing a single cigarette, he placed one in his mouth. Holding a lighter with his left hand near his mouth, he was about to light it._

"_Excuse me, but I'm eight-and-a-half months pregnant. Don't smoke."_

"_Hmm," Bandit stated as he aimlessly flicked the cigarette onto the porch. "You're a real bitch, aren't ya? You gotta hot face, but seriously, what a piece of work."_

"_Get to the point." Laura already disliked the obnoxious blond-haired youth. How dare he parade around as if he owned the place?_

She quickly swirled to the right lane. A car honked from behind, but she paid it no heed to it or the angry curses that followed. Her brown hair, already messy from her long nap, looked further tousled than before. Quickly, she cut through a small street and speeded until she approached a small white home. Hastily parking the car, Laura did not bother to check if the car had been properly locked as she rushed onto the concrete pathway that led to the small white home. Rapidly, she hurried onto the small pair of steps that led to the door in the front of the house.

_"Tell me you're lying!" Laura cried. Her face had turned pale. She pulled his vest closer to her, grabbing it tightly. "You're just lying!"_

"_Lady, get the hell off me! I'm just a messenger! I only told you what my old man told me to tell you. Ain't got nothing else to do with this." Trying to pry her fingers off his jacket, he tried to pull away softly, but Laura would not loosen her grip. "Listen, I don't wanna hurt you as you're pregnant and all, but get the hell offa me!"_

As she approached the door at the end of the steps, she furiously rang the doorbell frantically. After several minutes of pounding, the door opened to a shirtless, tall brown-haired man simply wearing a pair of dark pants.

Yawning deeply, Brian covered his mouth with his right hand as he stretched with the other. "What the hell Laura? I've been sleeping the whole time, and you come ringing like some crazy woman? I had a busy night last night. This hot blond—"

"I'm not here to talk about some slut! I'm here to talk about you." She desperately cried, cutting him off as his blue eyes searched her confusedly. "Just tell me it isn't true! Tell me that everything he said was a lie!"

"What the hell are you—"

"Tell me you weren't the reason that our apartment got trashed three years ago."

There was absolute silence as Brian silently stared past her.

"Why aren't you speaking?" Frantically, she grabbed his arms tightly; her hands gripped him as she started demanding louder. "Why aren't you telling me that they're lies? They're lies, right?"

Brian looked away from her, avoiding any eye contact. "Laura, I—"

"Look at me when you speak." She pushed his face in her direction as he eyed her nervously. She slowly repeated, "Now tell me that Bandit Keith was lying."

"I told a bunch of guys at Keith's bar a few days before that a Japanese guy was annoying me. I might have told them where you lived and talked them into trashing your place."

"No! No! NO!" Laura started to sob fiercely. "How could you? You're my brother! My big brother!" Brian looked down pathetically as she continued to cry. "I've always been there for you! When Mom and Dad put you down, I always defended you. When you needed money, I gave it to you. By the thousands! I never asked for anything back. Even when Seiji said it was stupid, I helped. No matter how wrong you were! You betrayed me like this?"

"Seiji," Brian viciously cried; his face contorted into an expression of rage. "It's Seiji! Always Seiji!" He yelled as he pulled away from her grip. "Ever since he's been around, it's always been Seiji this or Seiji that! Our relationship has changed. Everything. Now it's that guy or your son. I'm not even important anymore."

"Brian—"

"No, you listen!" he screamed furiously. "Do you think Mom and Dad approve of the relationship? They just don't say anything anymore to you, but don't think they love Seiji. Yeah, they're happy that they have a grandchild, but whose dream is some half-Jap kid in the family? You marry some monkey guy and you expect us to accept—"

Laura slapped Brian. For a moment there was nothing more than dead silence. As he looked at her with the red mark on his face, his sister turned paler than before. "I-I don't want to see you again. Not like before. We'll deal with each other when we have to, but that's it."

"Laura, listen. Please—"

"No, that's it!" Laura cried shakily, pushing his hands away from him. She turned to the door. "Don't come near my house. Don't come near my family. Don't come near me. Our relationship is through."

Brian pulled her towards him, desperately gripping her. She struggled to pull away, but he was too strong. Quickly grabbing the door, she pushed it towards the front. As Laura finally pulled from the grip, she tripped on the ground, falling on her stomach at the steps of the door.

...

Seiji ran through the halls of the hospital. When he got the phone call of Laura's admittance to the hospital, Seiji grew to absolute panic. Leaving work as soon as he could, he picked Seto from his summer enrichment program and dropped him to a family friend's home, not informing him of these events. Why had Laura been driving when she was so tired anyway? Bumping into a patient, he quickly ran, not bothering to apologize as he usually would. Ignoring the nasty looks and screams, he ran until he saw a shaking Brian who sat on a seat at the waiting room. For the first time in his life, Seiji was relieved to see his brother-in-law.

"Brian, where is she?"

"Seiji, I-I—"

"Is there a doctor somewhere?" Seiji asked, leaving Brian to speak incoherently. "Stop stuttering, and tell me what's going on!"

"Excuse me, but are you Mr. Nakamura?" Seiji turned around to face a middle-aged man with glasses.

"Yes," Seiji replied hurriedly. "Where's my wife? What's wrong? Please. You have to tell me." He cried, grasping the doctor's shoulder tightly.

"Sir, you need to calm down." Seiji immediately let go off the doctor. "Your wife's condition is very serious. She has fallen on concrete steps. Her brother, who brought her here, says she fell on the stairs as she was walking down. Though he informs me that she drove to his house. She shouldn't have been driving in her condition in the first place."

"Doctor, I don't know why she was driving. We had an agreement that I would drive till she gave birth."

"Well, we can't discuss the past. Get ready because you're about to be a father soon. Your wife's dilated four inches."

Seiji's eyes widened. "Please. Which room?"

"Room 573." The doctor turned away.

Seiji rushed to reach the room and opened the door. She saw an extremely pale and tear-stricken face of Laura.

"Seiji, I-I'm, uh," she cried through breathless gasps, "so stupid—"

"Honey, it's okay," Seiji stated comfortingly as he gave a gentle squeeze to her hand. "Tell me later. Just push that baby for me and be okay."

Laura started to sob further. Her face suddenly contorted into expressions of pain as she screamed even louder.

"She's lost a lot of blood!" A nurse cried.

"This is going to be a complicated birth," the doctor stated. "Sir, you need to move." Seiji stepped back as the doctor put on a pair of gloves. The doctor went near her legs as Laura continued to scream. "Now push."

"AAAAGGHH!"

"The cervix is ruptured. I suspect that the water bag might have broken as well," the doctor told a nurse nearby. Turning to the woman, he spoke soothingly. "Mrs. Nakamura, push harder."

Laura screamed even further. Seiji, turning to her, held his hand onto her arm, allowed her to squeeze his hands till tears came out of his eyes, but he said nothing. Occasionally, he wiped the sweat and tears that ran on her face and spoke soothing words as she continued to yell in anguish for several minutes.

"It's a boy!" the doctor cried, holding to a bloody baby. "Nurse, clean him." As the doctor cut the placenta, the dark-haired baby gasped and cried for air. The nurse wrapped the crying baby in cloth.

Laura started to breath heavily, gasping roughly. The nurse returned and handed a cleaned infant wrapped in cloth to Seiji. Staring in wonder at the dark-haired baby with golden skin, who continued cry, Seiji beamed as he looked at his wife. "Laura, here's our son."

Laura smiled weakly. Both of her hands slowly rose upwards, reaching towards the baby as if to ask to hold him. As Seiji moved closer to her to hand her their son, her hands dropped.

Pushing him away the doctor and nurses surrounded his still wife as Seiji helplessly watched and held onto his wailing son.

* * *

4 inches is 10 cm

* * *

To **loveroffics**, kids always have weird and funny explanations of why babies get born. Seto's a genius, so he'd have a more realistic one but he still has to be wrong. I also figured that someone taught Kaiba chess. He didn't learn it from nowhere. I also thought it would be more interesting to have a small sort of rivalry between the grandparents. A foreshadowing of sorts.

To **KasumiCho, **never had a veggie dog, but will be on my to-do list. Hope you enjoy the playlist as well. I must say that I am definitely downloading a lot of songs from your playlist. Needed new songs anyway. Haven't gone through all the songs because you have a lot, but I liked a lot of them. When I first saw the request, I was like ? I never thought of Foreigner in terms of music. However, it was surprising how perfect some of the songs that I knew were for this story.

To **Setorocksmysocks, **I must say I love your name. Good rhyming. I'm glad you enjoyed my story. I will maintain whatever current writing I've been doing because there's nothing more annoying to read on this website than a badly written fic.

To **Joker's Anarchist Follower, **I will continue to do so. I wanted to relate the story to the show in a realistic way, but I didn't want it come across as contrived either. The retarded part was originally a joke, and I had no plan to include it. But I couldn't let that idea go. Some people have thought some of the most brilliant men were idiots before, so I figured that I could go for it realistically.

To **Anime Captain of the Gotei13, **thank you for your comments. They really helped me a lot. I will definitely think of ways to better incorporate those elements in the story. Continue enjoying my story. You mean a sequel with Gozaburo's adoption of Seto Kaiba? Right now, there's no plan for a sequel. I won't completely dismiss the possibility, but this story isn't popular enough for me to be making a sequel for this.

To **susie25, **thanks for enjoying my story. I am aware that Kaiba is five years older, but for the sake of this story, we'll ignore that. Another reviewer told me that I made an age difference, and I was like holy crap! I blame 4Kids for playing with Kaiba's age too much because it gets confusing.


	9. Emptiness is an Aftermath

**Chapter 9 –** **Emptiness is an Aftermath**

8/27/08

**Disclaimer:** If I can't even sit through one children's card game, what makes you think that I created it or own Yu-gi-oh?

**Notes:** It is absolutely amazing that so many people from different parts of the world are reading this fic. Who knows? We did just have the Olympics, so maybe world peace? Fanfic writers unite…lol. As for the reviewers, you guys are beyond awesome! As usual everything will be answered at the bottom.

**ANNOUNCEMENT:** I wrote a companion fic **Anything At All**. It's from Laura's point-of-view and goes into plots that I came with but never put in the story. Check it out if you haven't already.

I will not be able to update as regularly as I was doing before. I will be incredibly busy, so my goal is to update at least 1-2 times per month.

* * *

"Where's my mother? When's she coming back? Why are we here?" the six-year-old blue-eyed brunette asked.

Silence and a small squeeze were Seiji's answers as he held onto his elder son's palm tightly with one hand. In the stroller beside him, the dark-haired infant had finally laid asleep after hours of endless wailing. Seto's expectant blue eyes showed disappointment as he was returned with no reply. Turning from his seat, he watched a mass of people dressed in black clothing line into the church building. He was confused by the odd and upset faces of the grandparents and uncle, who held such strange expressions. He observed the tears on his grandparents' faces; the grandmother wailed as she held tightly onto the shoulder of his grandfather whose tears fell silently onto his cheek. His uncle looked extremely broken. Seto noticed that he murmured incoherently now and then. Several other people, many of whom he was unfamiliar with, sobbed as they seated themselves onto the pews.

However, it was his father's expression that scared the child the most. He looked as if he would break any moment; he was like the window glass that Seto had seen broken once. Around a few weeks ago, a neighbor kid and he had been playing catch; the kid had thrown the ball with so much force that it hit the neighborhood cat lady's house. As the ball touched the window, it caused the glass to splinter, causing it to shatter into several pieces. For some reason he thought of that incident as he gazed at his father.

"It's that thing's fault!" Seto gasped as his uncle suddenly yelled to Seiji. Several people stared at the screaming man as he continued to vent. "It's that your stupid son's fault! That thing you call Mokuba!"

Seto looked at his father as Seiji quietly responded. "Mokuba is my son and two days old. Leave him out of this." Covered by dark circles and bags, his father's eyes looked extremely dead.

"If he had never been born, my sister would have been alive!" Brian continued angrily, moving towards him. "Do you know that Seto?" The blue-eyed boy stared confusedly as his uncle eyed him. "Do you know that if your dad never knocked up my sister that she would be fucking alive? Do you know that your brother killed your mom?"

"Brian, please stop this!" his grandmother sobbed. "This isn't going to make things better."

"At least you take blame!" Brian cried hysterically. "It's not my fault!" He ran his hands through his shaggy brown hair as he started to murmur. "It's not me. I never told her to come over. I never asked her anything. She's so stupid…"

Seto stared in confusion, trying to process his uncle's words.

"_Daddy," Seto looked at his father confusedly. "What's going on? Everyone's acting so weird. Where's Mommy? Why is everyone so quiet?"_

"_Seto, I need to talk to you."_

_His father had come over to Jamal's house the day after he dropped him. Something in his expression seemed off._ _Seto eyed Seiji nervously. When his father often said that to him, this often meant that he was in trouble._

"_Seto, something happened at the hospital yesterday."_

"_What is it? Is Mommy here because I promise I didn't mean turn off the computer the wrong way. Honest. It just shut down."_

"_Seto, Mommy's not here now. She's in another place now."_

"_Daddy, I need to see her. I need to tell her that I didn't break the computer."_

_Instead of his father's usual smile, Seiji stared at him for a few seconds as if contemplating what to say. "She's in heaven."_

"_When's she coming back?"_

Seto turned his attention from his sobbing relatives to a big rectangular box with silver hinges in the front. He had heard one of the grown-ups call it a coffin. There was something that felt intimidating and ominous about that white, wooden box.

His father held onto his hand as he pulled Seto to front. An unfamiliar man stood in front of him and opened the front half of the unusual box to reveal his mother laying utterly still in it. She adorned a beautiful blue dress that he had seen his mother wear once. Surrounded by long, thick lashes, her big round eyes were closed as if sleeping, and dark brown hair was swept down, contrasting with her porcelain white skin. Seto smiled. Excitedly, he rushed towards the box and poked her. Her body felt cold, completely different from anything that his mother ever felt like. There was no warmth at all. After a few moments, he realized and screamed.

It took the combined strength of two adults to pull him away from the coffin.

...

Seiji lay onto the couch, feeling the utter silence of the room. The quietness scared him. There was no loud laughter that usually permeated. Instead, laughter was replaced with nothingness. Just pure unadulterated silence. About half an hour ago, Seiji had put Mokuba to bed. His son had been crying for hours, unable to be satisfied by Seiji's endless attempts of burping, diaper checks, and feedings. However, when he was finally asleep, Seiji felt the urge to wake him just to hear noise. Just something.

Silence meant thoughts. Thoughts meant emotions. Facing feelings. They were not something that Seiji felt ready for. However, feelings were not something that one could shut off or put on hold. Once feelings took over, they came flooding into him whenever he had a quiet moment. He felt every moment of misery. Every minute of pain. The living room in which he lay in reminded him of Laura. How she played with Seto. How she would laugh. How she would kiss and hold him tightly when they were alone. They taunted him, reminding him of the harsh fact that she was no longer alive.

He could barely contain himself. He wanted to break down. He wanted to cry. Just do something to get closure. The hardest part was that he couldn't. It was too sudden. Seiji felt so utterly numb at times that he couldn't feel anything. He was forced to be full-time single father and full-time breadwinner, and he didn't have a clue on where to start.

Laura and Seiji had plans. These plans included raising their kids together, growing old together, and the like. Seiji felt so utterly lost without any sense of direction. He always had plans for himself. In his entire life he always had some new goal that he wished to accomplish. Yet now he was so clueless on where life would take him. What would happen to him? What would happen to his kids? Could he be a good father without Laura? Could he handle the pressure?

It had been an entire month since Laura's death. July 7, 1992. The date of his wife's death. The date of his son's birth. It was strange that a day of great joy was the worst day of his entire life. His wife had died in front of his eyes, and he could do nothing to stop it.

The words that she spoke to Seiji haunted him. Her last words before the screams from birth. Laura wanted to tell him something. She called herself stupid. Her face was in utter panic. He didn't listen to her. He thought he would have another chance. Another shot to discuss. How foolish of him.

Why do good people die? He stared onto the ceiling, pondering this. Why is it that they never last too long? Why do horrible people get to live and hurt others when good people rarely last?

He needed something to stop the emotions; any distraction would be good. His eyes smarted with tears; he angrily got up from his sofa and grabbed the remote control on the small table. Quickly he pressed the power button and plopped himself onto the sofa.

'Are you depressed? Do you feel as if the world is too much to take? If you feel like killing yourself, antidepressants like—"

Flip.

'It is suspected that the Republic of Crawanda's government is suspected of killing the Kutsi tribes. Many people are uncomfortable at calling this a geno—'

Flip.

'It feels good to let this out. I can't believe that I'm doing this. My uncle raped me when I was thirteen years old—"

The television was immediately turned off; Seiji tossed the remote control in disgust. Was there nothing else but sadness in the world? He had been annoyed by the unfairness of it all. Even the television seemed to be plotting against him.

As he sprawled onto the couch, Seiji noticed Seto come into the room, holding onto a small stuffed dragon. He carelessly tossed the toy onto the floor as he plopped himself onto the couch.

"Seto, pick up that toy and put that in your room."

"I'll do it later," Seto stated dismissively as he picked up the remote control.

"Pick it up now."

His son's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Why?" He turned on the television defiantly, flipping through the channels.

"Don't give me that attitude." Seiji scolded. "Now pick up those toys and put it where it belongs."

"I don't care!" Seto cried, getting up from his seat and stomping the carpet angrily. "Mommy's not here, and that stupid baby's here instead!" He continued to kick the air angrily. "I hate that stupid baby!"

"Seto, he's your brother! Don't keep saying such things!" Seiji exclaimed, removing himself from the couch as he walked towards Seto.

"Take him back!" Seto sobbed. "I don't want him here. Take him to the garbage dump and put him there!"

"Seto, don't talk this way—"

"He's nothing but garbage. It's as Uncle Brian says. He's trash!" Seto cried. Angrily, Seiji pulled his son towards him and slapped his face sharply with his palm. Seto's eyes widened as his angry father looked back at him. The blue-eyed boy stared at his father with sudden fear and started to run up the stairs, crying. It took Seiji a few moments to realize what he had done. He sat on the sofa, feeling a new emotion. Self-hatred. He loathed the insensitivity of his own inhumanity.

When he went upstairs to check on his son, he found him in his wife's former office room. Seto was lying down, sleeping by the black leather manager's chair. As he picked his son from the floor, he saw tears glistening from the sleeping boy's face. Seiji wiped them away from his face and whispered sorry.

...

The torrent rain poured heavily as Seiji ran onto the steps of the white house. Holding onto a black umbrella, Seiji rang the doorbell. After a few moments the door opened to the gray-haired woman who wore purple oven mitts.

"It's raining heavily, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Is Mokie asleep?" Seiji stated as he closed the door.

"Yes. It seemed that he was very hungry." His mother-in-law removed the oven mitts from her hand. "He needs breast milk, but he's not getting any. No infant formula can replace that."

"Where am I supposed to get breast milk from?" Seiji asked in annoyance as he shook his dark windswept hair.

"I'm not trying to attack you or anything, but I realize—"

"Where's Seto?" Seiji interrupted as he placed the wet umbrella onto the floor to dry.

"Doesn't he have lessons after school today?"

Seiji turned around in bewilderment. "What are you talking about? He never has lessons on Tuesdays."

Elizabeth confusedly gawked at her son-in-law. "I got a phone call from the school. Seto told me that he had lessons today with his first grade teacher. What's her name?" She paused for a moment. "Miss Smith."

"Oh my God! What the hell? I gave you a list of the times of the lessons. They're three days a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursdays!"

Elizabeth's blue eyes widened. "What on earth was Seto calling for? I'll call the police. Just wait here—"

Seiji did not wait to her to finish talking as he rushed out the door into the pouring rain.

...

Seto stared at the several cars that beeped and moved. He waited for the cars to stop at the red light, following the adults as he crossed the street. Seto had never been by himself in town before. It was strange, not having his mother holding his hand or his father scolding him for going to close to the street. His body was soaked from the rain; it seemed that his blue hooded raincoat was not enough to protect from the rain. When he went to his father to ask for a new raincoat earlier, his father had been busy feeding his wailing brother. Ever since his mother's death, his father never had time for him. It seemed that his routine was to pick Seto and his brother from his grandmother's home, do chores around the house, and take care of Mokuba. Then again, it was not as if anyone cared for him anymore. It was always Mokie this or Mokie that. His father never had time to listen to him like his mother did. When his father was not busy, he would plop himself in front of the television and watch various programs for hours aimlessly.

Seto nervously stopped at the end of the crosswalk. Many people stared at the little boy who walked around. He looked at them, wondering if he was close. He looked and saw a big gated door and gave a small grin as he headed towards it.

As he was about to touch the gated door, Seto heard someone scream his name. The voice got louder and louder, increasing as if getting closer. Seto turned to see his father run towards him, utterly drenched.

His father stared at him for a moment. Seto was not sure how to respond. He would probably be scolded again. That seemed to be his father's only response to him lately.

Suddenly, Seiji kneeled towards his son and hugged him, wrapping his arms around him tightly. He began to weep fiercely. Seto's eyes widened in surprise. He had never seen his father cry before. Seto awkwardly held onto him as Seiji buried his head onto the child's shoulder and sob.

"I…I th-thought I lost you too." Seiji held onto the child more tightly. "If I lost you…" He continued to cry, burying himself onto his son. Seto clumsily patted his father's soaked back as his father continued to cry.

"Daddy, I—"

"Why did you lie to Grandma?" Seiji took his head away from Seto's shoulders, staring at his son with his tear-stricken face. "You're only six years old. Why would you lie and go by yourself?"

"Daddy, I'm just looking for Funland." He pointed towards the gated amusement park in front of him.

"Why?"

"Because it reminded me of the drawing." Seto went into his backpack, removing a crumpled paper. As he handed it to his father, Seiji opened up the paper, staring at it for a moment. "I found it in Mommy's room," Seto continued. "It seemed really important to Mommy. She kept it in her special drawer where she kept the keys."

For a moment there was awkward silence as Seto eyed his father apprehensively. His father, however to his surprise, started to laugh as he teared further. "That silly girl. I can't believe that she saved that paper after all these years. I thought I threw it out." He continued to chuckle as his son stared at him curiously.

"What is it Daddy? Did Mommy draw it?"

"It's the plans for a park that I came up with it a long time ago." Seiji stated as he smiled at his son. He continued to gawk at the paper, holding it tenderly. "Your mom always said that she wanted to get a roller coaster named after her. 'Call it Raura. The craziest coaster that you'll ever ride,' " he stated as if mimicking his wife.

"Huh?"

Seiji blushed. "Nothing." He chuckled, staring at the heavily creased paper. "That woman always knows how to make me feel better."

* * *

Seiji just lost his father, mother, wife, and dreams within three years. Just to put everything in perspective

* * *

To **loveroffics, **Brian is so self-absorbed, isn't he? Laura loved him, and her love for him destroyed her. Always awesome to hear from you!

To **meena, **New reviewer! Seiji did call Brian a dog because I wanted to show similarity between Seto and Seiji. However, Seiji wouldn't probably be as mean as he would be to Joey. Anyway, I wrote up the companion fic A Dead Mother's Soliloquy, which gets into Laura's thoughts on her sons, so one of your wishes came true. As for the sequel that you mentioned, it's too early to promise anything, but I don't have any real plans for it. I prefer to come with one good story and finish it well than to expand it just because I can get reviews.

To **KatrinaKaiba**, Another new reviewer! Awesome. I'm so glad that you liked my companion fic also. As for Laura I had to kill her like that because Kaiba's mom supposedly died giving birth to Mokuba. Though I need to clarify one thing. Laura's parents don't hate Seto or Mokuba. It's more complicated than that. They love him as a grandson, but they're not thrilled that their daughter married an outsider.

To **susie25**, I didn't think you were criticizing. I just put up the note about the age difference because I didn't want anyone else to be confused about that. I'm happy that you like my story.

To **hatandkill-D**, So you're one of those shadow readers? I'm glad that you like my story. I try to be original. I'm glad that you like my story and hope it never disappoints.

To **Demented Insane Spirit**, I'm thrilled that a good writer like you makes my story as an exception. I'm honestly surprised that I haven't seen more stories about Kaiba's parents. There are so many possibilities because so little is known. I'm also happy that you love my first chapter. I wasn't sure if people thought it was boring or not because I didn't get much of a response from that chapter, but I'm glad to know that people liked it.

To **Kermita**, Yeah. I agree. I don't mind CC if it's said nicely. However, not everyone is quite that responsive. Once I nicely told someone that they made mistakes in their writing while pointing out positive aspects as well, and they bit my head off for it. Flamers, however, are just plain rude and make me think that they're just bored and miserable. I surprised that you used to like Brian though, but, then again, I am the author and knew what a douche he was.

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, Hope you had fun on your holiday. That was my first death scene, so I was extremely unsure on adding more or less. My companion fic will answer your questions about her final thoughts. As for how much longer, I will say more than ten and less than 20. Although Laura is gone, there's a lot more story left.

To **WolfStar713**, I'm so glad that I can make you think. That's such a great compliment. Especially for a YGO fanfic. I agree that the ending was predictable. The way that I saw it was like a movie, so it was a lot cooler in my head than when I wrote it.

To **KasumiCho**, I'm surprised that Brian has fans. Yeah. He's ass. No other words to describe him. I'm so happy that you love my companion fic. I'm sorry that it made you cry though. Especially before work.

To** Comicbookfan**, I'm glad that you liked my companion fic and my chap. I wish I didn't have to kill Laura, but that's the way the original story goes so…

To **Noc and NC**, I'm so glad that you like my story. As for Bandit Keith, 4Kids might have censored him on the show, but I wasn't about to comply. Actually you mentioned Hiro Nakamura in one of your reviews. Hiro's my favorite character on Heroes and I chose that last name because of that. I'm also glad that Seiji has a fan.

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, New reviewer and so many reviews! I love you already. I definitely called Seto's teacher Miss DeVille on purpose. I was going to go for something more subtle, but then I realized that this was the same show that named someone Rex Raptor. I'm so thrilled that you added me to a C2, fav, and stuff, so Yeah!

To **Still-Citylights**, Last but not least. New Reviewer! I hope you got sleep though. I'm curious by what your quote is about. ("it's called the church of hot addiction") I most definitely will continue this.


	10. More Than Salt

**Chapter 10 – More Than Salt**

9/23/2008

**Disclaimer:** hoWz I rItE Da hOle sTorI lyKe dis? (gets chased by dragon-sized flames for even _thinking_ about it). Sike. I like the nice reviews too much. In case you didn't know yet, I don't own Yu-gi-oh.

* * *

"Daddy," Seto spoke as he plopped onto his bed. "Tell me the story about Momotaro, the Peach Boy."

Seiji sighed. It was eight o'clock, the time for his elder son to sleep. When Laura was alive, she usually put Seto to bed. It used to be her daily ritual to tell bedtime stories to her son. Seiji could not possibly compare to his dead wife in her animated storytelling, but Seto surprisingly enjoyed the Japanese folklore and foreign stories that Seiji grew up on as a child. "I told you that yesterday. Today, I'm going to tell you about the prince who loved his father more than salt."

"Salt?" The boy in green long-sleeved pajamas stared in confusion at his father. Seiji's eyes twinkled as his son thoughtfully placed a finger to his bottom lip. "But we can buy salt at the grocery store easily. How is that a good thing?"

This boy is too precocious, Seiji thought. "Now, salt is very easy to get, but a long time ago salt was very rare," Seiji replied. "People used to have wars over salt."

Placing his arms onto his blue comforter, Seto frowned in disapproval. "That's stupid. Why must people die just for somebody's food to taste good?"

Seiji shrugged his shoulders disinterestedly. "You better ask them. Anyway, you see, there was a king of a small kingdom who was getting old and needed to pass his kingdom onto one of his sons. He had two sons who he loved very much. However, he wanted to give it to the son who loved him the most—"

"Shouldn't the king just give it the smarter son?"

"Sssh. Listen to the story," Seiji playfully scolded as the blue-eyed boy crossed his arms and stared at him impatiently. His wife was a much better at dealing with his son's many questions. Her usual response was to come up with some overly complicated explanation that would amuse the boy and endless peals of laughter due to her favorite tactic. Tickling. "You see, he believed that his son who loved him the most would love the country the most. So he brought them over in a big ceremony in front of the entire court and asked them the question. 'Who loves me more?'"

"Couldn't they just lie?" Seto interrupted again.

"You're getting ahead of the story," Seiji gently insisted as Seto rolled his eyes. He returned his attention to his father who continued with the tale. "Now the older son was a very popular man and known in for his ability to give great speeches that made crowds excited. In front of the entire court, the first prince told his father that he loved him more than the greatest riches. He loved his father more than the most beautiful jewels. From the heavens to his seas. He insisted that his love is greater than anything around."

"Well, it is a lot of talk that he was giving," Seto stated, having newfound interest with the story. "What did the second prince say?"

"Well, the second prince was the opposite of his older brother. He was an extremely simple and quiet man. He lacked his brother's talent for speaking. So in front of the entire court, the second son simply replied that he loved his father more than salt."

Seto raised his eyebrows, puzzled by the second prince's words. "How did the king reply to that?"

"The king became so furious when he heard this. He banished the second son from the kingdom, telling him to never return. Meanwhile, he gave the first son the title as crown prince."

"I don't get it. What's the point of this story?"

"I'm not done yet," Seiji stated, smirking at his son's restlessness. "From the day that the first prince gained power, his true nature came out. He was a cold and ruthless tyrant who treated his subjects badly. He even locked his father in the dirtiest cell in the dungeons."

Seto's eyes widened. "That's horrible!"

Seiji nodded as he continued with his tale. "When the second prince heard about this, he gathered an army and defeated his brother. After kicking the king out of power, he went to the cell and freed his father. His father looked so different from staying in that jail cell that his son barely recognized him. The former king turned to his son and asked him one question. 'Why did you save me?'"

"You know, the king has a point," Seto retorted all-knowingly, nodding his head in agreement with the king's words. "He only loved him more than salt."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong." Irritation entered Seto's blue eyes at the correction as he gazed at Seiji. It was a rare experience for the seven-year-old to be wrong. "The prince told his father that salt is essential to food. Without salt, food like rice is bland and can't be eaten. It gives it that extra taste. The king realized his foolishness and cried. The second son loved him more, but he just didn't brag about it. So he decided to make that prince the king, and they—"

"—lived happily ever. But I still don't get it," Seto stared at Seiji, looking at his father in puzzlement. He was still baffled by his father's tale. "What's the point?"

Seiji sighed again. Perhaps, he should have told the story about the Peach Boy after all. "The second prince loved his father more, but he just didn't say that in so many big words. His love was simple and pure; it may not have shined like a gem and been noticed by others, but it was greater. Now it's off to bed." The Japanese man leaned forward towards his son as he lay onto the pillow, planting a quick peck onto the boy's chestnut brown bangs. Seto smiled as his father tucked him into the blue comforter and sheets of his twin-sized bed. A sudden idea entered the biracial boy's head as he glanced at his father.

"Daddy, can I look at the VCR tomorrow? I want to play with it."

"No." The brown-haired boy sulked at his father's quick reply as the golden-toned man rose up from the bed. "Now, good night. I got some work to finish up." Walking away from the bed, he turned off the light switch of the room covered in dragon-patterned wallpaper and grabbed the door knob.

After closing the door, Seiji walked through the lit halls of the second floor of his home. Glancing at the door next his elder son's, Seiji headed toward the room. Quietly he turned the silver door knob and peered into darkness. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He scanned the room, eying a small wooden crib. A diaper-changing table and shelf filled with stuffed animals, Mokie's favorite rattle, and assorted baby items surrounded the crib. Nearby a small rocking chair lay, where he would rock and feed his little son with infant formula. As Seiji leaned towards the wooden crib, his little dark-haired boy slept soundly. The boy's hair was so similar to his own with the only difference being the length. His son's hair was decidedly longer than his own cropped hair. Mokie might need a hair cut soon, Seiji thought as he fondly gazed at his son. "Laura would love you so much," the Japanese man whispered. "You have her father's eyes after all."

The baby stirred for a moment. Raising himself up Seiji removed himself from the crib. His elder son's relationship with the baby had not improved. This broke Seiji's heart. Although Seto no longer threw tantrums, realizing that they were futile, the elder son refused to acknowledge his sibling's presence. When Mokie was in the same room, Seto would silently ignore the infant and absorb himself into whatever he was doing. It certainly did not help that Seto stayed at the Jones' home after school. Brian constantly complained about Mokie, reinforcing Seto's dislike for his brother.

Softly closing the door of the nursery room, Seiji headed towards his own room. He had some work to do. As he switched on the light to his room, he headed towards his desk. Grabbing a manila envelope, the man seated himself onto a chair by his wooden table study as he removed papers from it. He placed the papers onto the desk and grabbed a ruler and pen to sketch. The papers had been the blueprint to the park that he had been working on. Every evening Seiji had worked on the plans, after finishing chores and putting his kids to bed. Hopefully, if everything went according to plan, he would be finished with the final touches that night. Before he had crumpled his plans about three years ago, Seiji had nearly been finished with the rough draft.

Ever since Seto found the plans, Seiji felt some purpose within him. When he worked on the blueprints for the park, it separated him from his stress. His worries and fears no longer dominated him in those moments. There was some sense of control. By working until the early hours of the morning, random thoughts could not enter because he absorbed himself into his work and became too tired to think afterwards. As his pen inked further lines, his mind could be free from the fears that dominated him when his mind was unoccupied. Fears such as failing his sons. Fears such as his life amounting to nothing.

After the man added the final touches, he stared at the blueprint. "I'm finished." No one responded to those words, leaving Seiji feeling utterly empty. There was no kiss to congratulate him. No squeezing hug. No over-the-tops squeal of excitement that was typical of his wife. He looked at the desk clock that read two o'clock. It was time for sleep. He got up from his chair, feeling tenseness in the muscles of his back. As Seiji changed into the pajamas that he placed into his chair, he felt a mingled combination of loneliness and worry overwhelm him. He dragged himself to the queen-sized bed and lay down after turning off the light. With the plans for his park finished and the contacts that had been making for the last couple of months, Seiji would have to inform Seto of his decision. He wondered how his elder son and in-laws would take the news that he would announce in a few days.

...

"Could you pass the gravy?" Seiji mumbled awkwardly.

On the left foot of the table, the gray-haired woman looked up at him. Placing her silverware onto her plate, the gray-haired woman picked up a white ceramic sauce boat filled with gravy and passed it towards her son-in-law. She returned to eating the food on her plate as he held onto the handle of the dish. After pouring the thick gravy over his mashed potatoes, he placed the sauce boat onto the middle of the table along with the other dishes of food.

It was Thanksgiving dinner at the Jones' house. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, the day was a national holiday that supposedly celebrated thanks and gratitude for one's blessings by gathering with family and friends. Unlike the not-so-appetizing barbeque that was typical of the Jones, Thanksgiving was an actual treat. In food there was nothing lacking. A well-seasoned baked turkey was centered by various mouth-watering dishes such as stuffing, cranberry sauce, and corn. However, a dreariness lingered throughout the dinner. It had been the most uncomfortable Thanksgiving that Seiji had ever experienced, including his first one with Laura's parents after he married. Seated to right of him, his elder son chewed onto a small slice of turkey onto his mouth as he stared sadly onto his plate of food. Meanwhile, towards the left of him, his younger son cooed excitedly as he sat onto the baby chair, showing signs of energetic feistiness. He made the only sound of joy and excitement in the entire room.

"So, tell me, what is it that you wanted to announce?" His gray-haired father-in-law stated as his blue-gray eyes bored onto the Japanese man, seated at the right foot of the table.

After eying the American man awkwardly, Seiji spoke. "I don't know if Laura ever mentioned this to you, but it was my dream to build an amusement park."

"Hmph. She might have mentioned something, but it's a good thing that you got your head out of the clouds. Such a silly notion. You need money for that kind of stuff." Frank's blue-gray eyes returned to the plate as he put a slice of turkey into his mouth.

Seiji ignored his father-in-law's jab as he continued. "I need to work more locally to get a possible contract to get that built. I need funding. Although I have some money, I need to find partners."

Chewing the turkey, Frank glanced at him disinterestedly. "What do you mean?" He returned his attention to his plate as he sliced a piece of turkey with his knife.

"I need to relocate to Japan."

Immediately Frank coughed, nearly choking on his piece of meat in his mouth. After a few moments, he spit out the piece of turkey onto his plate. "Ja-Japan?" the elderly man sputtered.

"Yes. Japan." Although his countenance showed no expression, Seiji's voice edged nervousness.

Elizabeth gasped. She had nearly spilled her glass of water when she heard the news. "But what about the kids?"

"I'll take them with me."

"Seiji, their home is America. How do you expect them to deal with the language barrier and cultural differences? Mokie's a baby, so I suppose he's not a problem, but have you even thought about Seto?" Elizabeth asked, staring anxiously at her son-in-law.

"Of course I have," Seiji answered edgily. His mother-in-law was the queen of trying to guilt him. He refused to fall for that trap. "That's why I'm taking them with me."

"He's got school, he's got his life here, and he's got us. At least let the kids stay here. You can visit every once in awhile. We'll raise them, and you can still take on that job. Isn't that right Frank?" The elderly man nodded as she turned towards her husband.

"It's no problem at all," Frank answered as he looked at his wife. "Seto's such a good kid."

"We could give him the guest room."

"Wait—" Seiji started.

"I could get those white dragons that you wanted, like Seto wants, right? You'd like to paint your stuff with dragons, right?" Seto nodded as his grandfather eyed him.

"You're not listening. I'm—"

Frank ignored Seiji as he spoke animatedly to his wife. "It'll be nice to have another kid around the—"

"NO!" Seiji cried as he stood up from seat. They turned to him in shock. He had never been openly loud with them before. Staring at the Americans awkwardly, the Japanese man froze for a moment as everyone's eyes bored onto him. No. He needed to remain strong about this. Taking a deep breath, Seiji paused before he spoke unsteadily. "I will not be separated from my kids. I'm their father, so they'll be with me."

"Are you going to separate us from our grandkids?"

"I'm their father."

"We just lost Laura. How can you do this to us?"

"They're my kids."

"A parent should never bury their kid. Do you realize how much pain that we went through? "

"Do you realize how unreasonable this is?"

Frank's fists tightened. "What can I do to show how stupid you're being?"

"I'm their father. I _need_ them." His almond-shaped eyes defiantly stared onto the elderly man. His voice steadied after those words. "They're staying with me."

...

After he shocked his in-laws with his outburst, Seiji felt that it would be inappropriate if he stayed at the table. Not waiting for desert, he abandoned his seat to find some solitude in the stairwell. He did not feel as if he was being judged there. Seiji couldn't bring himself to care what his in-laws thought; there was no way in hell that his kids would be separated from him. They could bring their supposedly perfect living arrangement and shove it God-knows-where. However, as Seiji seated himself on the carpeted steps of the stairwell, his brother-in-law headed towards the stairwell. Seiji groaned. The last thing that he needed was to deal with Brian. During the course of the dinner, Brian had stated nothing to anyone. He had been oddly civil. The muscular man simply watched as his parents took in the shock of the announcement and added none of his usual sarcastic comments to the conversation.

Grabbing a pair of Doc Martens from the pile of shoes that were scattered by stairwell, the American roughly shoved his foot into them. It seemed that the former football player was going to drop his usual visit to his local bar. Even on a occasion like Thanksgiving, Brian Jones had to have his beer.

"So you're hiding up here?" Brian darkly chuckled as he noticed the annoyed man in khakis that seated himself on the steps. "Dad nearly threw a gasket with what you've done."

"Whether you guys realize it or not, Seto and Mokie are my children," Seiji answered stiffly.

Brian chuckled further as he bent to tie his shoes. "Laura was their favorite kid. She always meant more to the both of them than me. It's only natural that they would be upset if you tried to take her children away from them."

"Frank's mentioned you've been drinking more," Seiji replied warily, attempting to change the subject.

Brian stiffened as he turned to grab a flannel jacket from the coat rack. "Hmph. He must have been desperate to ask you."

"Laura wouldn't approve."

"Do we have to talk about this?"

Ignoring his words, Seiji paused and stood up from the stairwell. "I can't forget those words that she told me. She called herself stupid. But she was with you? Why would she feel that way?"

Brian looked away as he fiddled with the zipper of his jacket. "I dunno what you're talking about." He zipped the plaid flannel jacket. Placing a baseball cap onto shaggy brown hair, he muttered in aggravation. "Listen. I gotta go, so now's not a good time."

Seiji crossed his arms. "I'm not an idiot."

Brian stared at him, bewildered. "Eh-excuse me?"

"I'm not stupid. I know that you're hiding something."

"Hey, listen!" Brian cried angrily. "I told the doctor what happened already. She tripped on the steps. It's not my fault that she came over."

Seiji eyed him disbelievingly. "Well, I just want you to know that you better stop poisoning Seto with your nonsense about Mokie."

"Can you deny that if he'd never been born—"

Seiji's eyes narrowed as he stared at the brown-haired man in disbelief. "He's my son! Why are so you desperate to blame a baby?"

"I loved her more than anyone else."

"Why can't you be honest with yourself that you need help?"

Brian's fists tightened as moved towards the stairwell. "I'm not a bad person."

Seiji snorted. "Keep telling yourself that. While you're on the process, tell yourself that you won a Noble Peace Prize. Even Mother Teresa can't compare to you."

Brian suddenly lunged toward the shorter man. Grabbing his light blue polo shirt by the collar, Brian pulled the Japanese man towards him. He held the collar so tightly that Seiji's neck began to pain. "You never deserved my sister. I should have beat the crap out of when I first met you."

Seiji did not flinch as he looked at him. "If that'll make you feel better, do it you wuss."

"Daddy!" a small sound squeaked. Seiji turned his head around to see Seto staring at them by the stairwell; his blue eyes widened in fear.

Brian let go of his grip from Seiji's collar. "I'm going." The brown-haired man grabbed the door knob and slammed the door.

Seiji weakly chuckled as he rubbed his neck further. "How long have you been there?"

As his lip quivered, Seto's eyes showed fear. "He was talking about...the baby." He spoke the word uncomfortably, as if he had said something disgusting. "Grandma asked me to look for you. She cut the apple pie. Why was Uncle Brian acting like that?"

Seiji laughed weakly, continuing to rub his neck carelessly. "Oh, we're just joking. You know how close we are?" Seto peered at him dubiously as Seiji grinned. "Ignore that. Adults argue. Just like kids. Didn't you argue with Jamal a week ago, but you guys are fine now."

"I dunno," Seto pondered, putting a finger to his lips. Disbelief spread across his face as he deliberated to himself. His father's happy expression was rather odd. As if it was strained.

"Look Seto. Let's forget about it. Okay?" Seto's blue eyes focused on to his father as the Japanese man slowly spoke. "I want to apologize. I know that you want to stay in America. I'm so sorry that you have to move because of me."

"I _do_ want to stay in America," he replied. Seto pensively stared at his father for a moment. Seiji tensed as he felt a small knot in the muscles of his shoulders. He eyed his son impassively, preparing himself for his refusal. "But you're my dad. I want to be with you."

Giving his first true smile in weeks, Seiji beamed widely. "Shall we head home?"

Seto nodded. His porcelain white hands grabbed onto his father's golden-toned ones and held them tightly.

* * *

Momotaro is a Japanese story about a boy found in a peach that gets adopted by a childless couple.

The story about salt is based of an Indian story. I modified the version base off what I heard, which had a daughter and a son, to suit this story. There are many versions out there. You guys should be able to find short versions of the both of them online.

Thanksgiving, for anyone who doesn't know, is a national holiday celebrated in America on the fourth Thursday of November. Basically, it is supposed to celebrate the first big dinner between the Native Americans and Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachussets. Evidently, the colonial people had a difficult winter, and the Native Americans helped them. It's a day that people celebrate with friends and family by eating dinner (traditionally turkey) and other foods. You're suposed to remember what you're thankful on that day.

* * *

To **Still-Citylights**, I'm glad to know that like it. Chapter 9 was sad, but it had a moment of hope at the end. By the way, the quote is such an adorable way to end your reviews.

To **loveroffics**, I hope I updated soon enough? I know I haven't, but hopefully the next one will come out faster. Glad to know that you like my chapter.

To **Kermita**, it makes me happy that I could make you think of Laura in such a way with 9 chaps and oneshot. Yeah. It was sad that Seiji slapped Seto, but Seiji was so upset, and Seto was saying those horrible things about Mokuba.

To **hatandkill-D**, You can sign anonymously if you want. In the beginning, I didn't realize that I was blocking anonymous reviews. Keep enjoying.

To **KasumiCho**, If I got rid of the sadness, Seto wouldn't Kaiba. Another person, not a reviewer, told me to forget the ending, bring back Laura, and have Seto grow up with Seiji. To finally end up at M.I.T. While I can't do that (b/c I would probably be flamed beyond belief), I promise that the whole story won't be a complete angst fest. Now, that would just be boring. Very glad to know that you loved the last chap.

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, yup. Let the greatness of this brilliant author ensue. (gets plopped on head for being utterly delusional) In all seriousness away from the craziness that I am, Seto was only repeating what his uncle told him. Even though he's a child prodigy, he's a naïve kid whose reasoning isn't always right.

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, I honestly didn't realize that I made so many parallels till I saw your review and looked back. Weird but awesome how that happened! As for Seto, my goal is too keep some essence of his character, while keeping him as loveable child.

To **ml101**, who doesn't want to kill Brian? There ought to be an anti-Brian club for the amount of rage that goes to him, which I completely support. He did love Laura though, so he is suffering emotionally a great deal. But he's too much of a self-proclaimed victim.

To **susie25**, Hope this chap was worth the wait as well. Seto would be jealous of Mokie b/c he suddenly isn't the only one anymore. It's that whole only-child issue.

To **WolfStar713**, Seto is a child prodigy, but I wanted to show his intelligence in a non-academic way. Plus, you're absolutely right about Seto helping Seiji. As you saw from this chapter, Seto does save Seiji…and moves the plot along, which is great for me. Just to let you know, Seiji was only neglectful of his son after his wife's death and not before that.

To **Noc and NC**, Seiji needs many hugs. Thanks for your advice. I appreciate the slow update thing. I was going through a bit of slump…not writer's block as much as when I wrote, it came out weird. Not looking at it for a while helped bring fresh ideas. Also, if you're having a slump, it might help if you know how your story is going to end exactly. Like the exact ending scene. That helped me to have focus with Foreigner and brought less writer's block.

To **Demented Insane Spirit**, it wasn't that detail-oriented because it focused on emotions more. But I agree with you. When I look back, I see so many things that I should have added. Plus, I was trying to go from young Seto's point-of-view, which is a bit confusing to write. Thanks for everything

To **Meconopsis**, Thank you for your many wonderful compliments. Made me feel super awesome. Are there a lot of stories about Kaiba's parents? I haven't seen too many.

To **Makai-Rahl**, you are free to kill Brian, but I need to bring him back afterwards. Plot reasons. I'm going to miss writing Laura though; she said a lot of fun things.

R&R


	11. In the Land of the Rising Sun

**Chapter 11 - In the Land of the Rising Sun**

10/30/08

**Disclaimer:** I would like to tell you my deep dark secret. (drum roll…) I. OWN. YU-GI-OH. Complete truth. (Crosses fingers) This is the secret unreleased story behind Kaiba's parents that was never released because it had no children's card games. [Sigh] For some unknown and illogical reason (I blame amnesia), I decided to put it up on a fanfiction website.

...Anybody believe? I should hope not.

**Anyone excited about the American elections coming up? I know that I am. Also, Happy Halloween!**

* * *

Seto gazed out the window at the landscape of the winding roads that passed. He pressed his fingers against the window, shivering as the cold glass contacted them. Taking his hands off the window, he turned towards the front and rubbed both of his hands to warm himself. He was glad that his father had bought him the navy blue jassi coat instead of his usual winter jacket. The father insisted that they go shopping for basic winter items before they moved. This coat that he had purchased was one of the few remnants of his life in America.

His father, adorning a long gray belted trench coat, was seated next to him. He sat in the cramped vinyl backseat with Mokie at his left in a buckled car seat. From Domino City Airport, his father called a cab. There weren't too many suitcases as Seiji insisted that the move would be easier if they bought many of their belongings in Japan. Most of the furniture and various items were sold at a garage sale in America. The one item that he did not sell was his mother's computer. When Seto approached Seiji about this, he reassured him that it would not be sold.

It was unbelievable on how quickly his life had changed. Within a month his father actually managed to sell his home and move to Japan. Throughout the plane trip, his father constantly reassured him that he would love Japan, telling about how popular baseball was or about the festivals that he celebrated as a child.

As if either of them cared about baseball.

Japan, Seto decided, was a strange country. It was nothing like how the books had described it to be. The drivers sat on the wrong side of the car. The cars drove on the wrong side of the road. When he had seated himself into the cab, he was momentarily thrown off when he noticed that the steering wheel was on the right instead of the left that was typical of America. The Japanese pop that the driver had tuned the radio onto was different from anything that he had ever heard. Granted, he never cared much for music, and his father never showed more interest to it than he did, but the odd combination of notes that he heard on the radio were different from the heavy metal and hard rock that his uncle listened, the rock'n'roll that his mother used to play, or the jazz songs that his grandparents were so fond. There was also a sameness in the people that he had never seen in America. They all had the same slanted eyes that his father had. The similar shades of skin. His own blue eyes and brown hair stood out, making his features, ones which had been so commonplace in America, unusual.

The child placed a finger onto his lip thoughtfully. The almond-eyed man observed this, recognizing the boy's unusual reticence. Even if he was not a particularly talkative child, Seto was rarely quiet with him.

"A penny for your thoughts?" asked Seiji, breaking the looming silence.

Seto glanced at his father and sighed. "Daddy, we're in Japan. Pennies are useless."

"Then we better go to the bank and exchange it," Seiji joked lightly. "Though probably won't even buy you a snow cone."

The boy rolled his eyes. His father's jokes could be so corny sometimes. "So what's the point of giving pennies? Though if I compound my interest for all the pennies that you promise, it may be quite profitable," Seto spoke thoughtfully.

"Where did you hear that?"

"A book," the brunette replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Miss Smith let me borrow a book that she got from the library. It's about how to make money and stuff."

"Ah. So that's how you got your idea to charge your classmates for 'homework help' fees." In early December Seiji had been called to a parent-teacher conference to be informed that Seto had been starting a side business during recess. Evidently, he had been charging his classmates a dollar-fifty per assignment.

Seto nodded. "The book says that you should use what you're good at to your 'ad-van-tage.'" The boy pronounced the last word slowly, smirking proudly at his usage. "There's a demand for homework. I'm good at it, so why shouldn't I make money off it?"

For a moment Seiji was not quite sure how to respond. One part of him wanted to laugh and praise the kid for his financial genius, but the logical side of told him that it was not good parenting to encourage this type of behavior. His paternal side won the internal tug-of-war and took over.

"Seto, you must let other people do their own homework. They must learn the material on their own, or you're robbing them of their learning experience."

Seto groaned. "I know. I know. You already took the money and gave it back to all the kids. I made fifty bucks too."

It took all of Seiji's self-restraint to refrain from smiling. As he was about to respond, the sounds of crying interrupted him. He turned towards the black-haired infant, who had awoken as the car bumped when it went over a pothole. Grabbing a baby bag, he fumbled through it for a pacifier and a bottle. His elder son turned away, forcing his full attention onto the scenery of the winter roads of Japan.

As Seiji fed the five-month-old with the bottle of infant formula, Seto glanced at him jealously. On several occasions his father had seated him and told him that the baby was a beloved younger brother, who needed him and was not responsible for his mother's death, despite whatever his Uncle Brian insisted. However, Seto did not feel any particular attachment to the baby. In his eyes the infant called Mokuba was nothing more than an unwanted guest. One who did nothing but sleep, cry, and poop.

It irritated that all the baby had to do was cry to get his father's attention. He might have been somewhat cute if he wasn't wailing or smelling, but that wasn't a common occurrence—

"Seto, I mentioned that we're moving back my old home. When I was a kid, I lived there with my parents. I had all kinds of fun there."

"Hmm."

"I mean it. There's always a small park that I would play with my friends. Also, there's shogi. It's basically like Japanese chess."

Seto did not particularly feel in the mood for another conversation on how wonderful that this chapter of their lives would be. He had heard too many of those within the last month. Besides, something else had been plaguing him since he arrived in Japan. "Have you ever seen a geisha?" the blue-eyed boy asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I saw a picture of one in a book about Japan that I was reading. I hear that they're Japanese prostitutes. So…have you seen one?"

"A few times," Seiji replied absentmindedly. "Wait. Did you just say prostitutes?" he cried, twisting to his son in shock. Seto nodded. "Who told you that?"

"Uncle Brian. He says that only thing that's worth going to Japan is to meet a geisha and getting laid. But I don't know why he would meet a geisha to get sleep. He could just take Grandpa's sleeping pills."

The car halted to a screeching stop. The driver turned around and informed them that they had reached their destination.

Seiji thanked the man and returned his attention to his son. "Seto, geisha are not prostitutes. _Please_ don't repeat that or the sleeping pills in front of anyone else. Your Uncle Brian doesn't know what he's talking about. Their job is to entertain rich men."

"How do they do that?"

"Well, they dance, talk, and flirt…Seto," Seiji started. He sighed, gazing at his son seriously. "We're not visiting geishas."

Seiji picked up the infant from the car seat, while Seto grabbed his backpack and walked out of the cab. As Seiji paid the driver and headed towards the luggage in trunk, Seto stared at a two-story house before him. A small traditional Japanese-styled home stood with a thatched roof and wooden frame. Surrounded by various green shrubbery and small bonsai trees, a small pathway lead toward dark wooden steps. The building seemed oddly familiar to him, as if he had been there before. He couldn't quite place it, but...

"Seto, can you grab that bag over there?" Seiji motioned as he held onto the handle of a suitcase with one hand and the baby with the other. Seto obliged as he grabbed the green duffel bag and followed his father as he headed towards the front of the house. "Now Seto, you remember what we were talking about, right?"

Seto nodded in reply as he walked towards the door. Seiji let go of his heavy suitcase that he had been holding. In front of the dark wooden door, he paused for a few moments before he pressed the door bell. He turned towards his son and smiled nervously as Seto stared at the door, wondering why his father seemed on edge. The door opened to find a petite middle-aged woman in her early forties. She had a raven black hair that she tied in a conservative ponytail and wore a light green cotton kimono. The middle-aged woman eyed Seiji for a moment seriously as Seiji gulped. Then she gave a thin smile, one that did not reach his eyes.

"Seiji!" He weakly grinned as he heard the woman greet him heartily. "It's been such a long time!"

"It's been a while Hiroko." The dark-haired man nodded curtly.

"Oh, Seiji. Why must you be so formal with me? I am your first cousin after all."

"If my memory is correct, I don't remember such a warm greeting last time," Seiji replied stiffly. When he had last seen her, Hiroko had called him the scourge of the Nakamura family and a disgrace to the Japanese people.

"History is history, Seiji. Now, is this your new son?" Hiroko said enthusiastically as she eyed the dark-haired infant.

"Ah. yes. This is Mokuba. We call him Mokie. And you remember Seto." He stated as he glanced at his brunette-haired son.

"Of course," Hiroko replied dismissively. "He was so little when I last saw him. Well, marrying that American was good for one thing. You have two very good-looking kids."

"Thank you," he murmured uncomfortably. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I'm not as fortunate as you Seiji. Us ordinary folks have our problems too."

"I hear the economy is not going well in Japan. Has your husband been able to get a job?"

"Yes. He's working as a salary man at a small company now. Of course, he's not as lucky as you."

Seiji's shoulder muscles tightened. It was so typical of Hiroko to attribute all of his hard work to luck. Seiji didn't put much faith in that concept. Luck, Seiji believed, was an excuse that people gave because they were not at place in life that they wanted. Real luck was made when one had a goal, prepared diligently, and kept looking for opportunities till one worked out. Then, the world labeled you as 'lucky.'

"It's good to see that things are going well for you guys."

"Well, are you guys coming in? This is your home after all." Seto followed his father as his grip tightened onto the duffel bag as he entered the door of his house. The house was completely different from the old brick colonial home that he used to live in. The rooms were more similar in size and had sliding doors instead of the doors and empty hallways that he was used to. A few semblances of a sofa and a table had been assembled together in one room, but, for the most part, the rooms were bare except for a few tatami mats. "Well, the movers have still to come, but these things take time. They should arrive by next week," the woman continued as she led them to a square-sized room.

"Of course," Seiji agreed as he stopped to place his suitcase. "Well, I'm glad to hear that this place is neat. From what Jiro was saying, the state of the place was quite a mess."

The woman stiffened. "Well, maybe Jiro should stop being all talk because I assure you that I scrubbed the place till the very last inch."

"And thank you." Seiji replied, bowing his head in gratitude. "Seto, just leave the duffel bag near suitcase, okay?" Seto placed the duffel bag by the chair. Afterwards, he seated himself onto the sofa as he curiously looked around the place.

"Hm...I must ask, how is your son going to communicate if he doesn't speak Japanese? That'll be tough for him at school." The woman inspected the blue-eyed boy as he glanced around the room.

"Seto knows Japanese. I've been teaching him for years, but he's tired after the trip. It was a long flight."

"Really? So you haven't forgotten your culture after all." The middle-aged woman smirked at her younger cousin.

"Why would I? I am Japanese." Seiji's grip tightened onto the baby seat.

"Oh, I've heard so many stories of Japanese people going to other countries, and when they return, you can't tell the difference between them and a foreigner," she said, smiling a toothy grin.

"Well, I'm not one of them." He seated himself by his elder son and placed the baby seat with the infant next to him. While he took off his trench coat, Seiji asked, "Seto, are you thirsty?" The brunette nodded as he removed his coat to reveal his knitted sweater and blue jeans that he was wearing.

"I'll bring some water. Do you want some tea?" Seiji replied a small 'yes' as the woman eyed him severely. "Well, it's been a long time since you've had _actual_ tea. I'll go make some." She headed towards the kitchen, sliding the door as she left.

Hiroko Ito was a traditional Japanese woman, a conservative housewife who disliked anything that stood out or out of the ordinary. Eleven years older than Seiji, she stayed true to her the traditional Japanese family values that she was brought up on a child. She took her place in the world as the responsible and upstanding housewife to her husband, the office worker. However, she was far different from Seiji's meek mother, who depended on her husband for her very livelihood. She was a smart and strong-willed woman who held her own will within her family. Although she was a firm believer that the man held the dominant role, no true decision was made in the Ito household without Hiroko's opinion.

Returning from the kitchen, the woman held a tray with a glass of water, two cups of tea, a teapot, and a small plate filled with snacks and placed it at a wooden table in front of them.

The boy eyed several long brown-coated biscuit sticks on the plate curiously. "What is this?" he pointed to the sticks in Japanese. His thick American accent soiled the words, sounding awkward as he spoke.

Hiroko laughed lightly. Seto frowned. He was not trying to be funny. "Oh. Poor child. Don't have it in America, do they? It's Pocky. Try it."

The boy grabbed the snack from the side without the brown coating. Taking a bite, he chewed onto a brown-colored side of it. He scrunched his eyes in disgust. "It's chocolate. I don't like chocolate."

"Another chocolate hater? He's just like you Seiji."

"Ah...well…"

"Let me introduce to my daughter. Jun?" she called sweetly. No one replied. "Jun. JUN!"

The sudden sound of loud plodding came over the pair of steps. The girl's voice screamed 'Coming' from another room. When she entered a room, Seto's eyes widened as he stared at the sight of the lanky fifteen-year-old.

This girl could not have been more different from his aunt.

The teenager had dyed peroxide blond pigtails and a fake bronze tan. Her heavy makeup was ridiculously gaudy. Her eyes were outlined with black eyeliner, and white concealer that covered her lips and eyes. If her makeup was gaudy or strange, it was nothing compared to her clothes. The teenager dressed unlike anyone that Seto had ever seen. She wore a long-sleeved tyedye shirt under a hot pink tank top, a bright yellow miniskirt, and bubblegum pink platform boots. On top of that she wore several brightly colored bangles, necklaces, and accessories.

All in all, Jun Ito was a ganguro girl.

"Mom, they could like hear you in America." The girl crossed her arms in annoyance as she eyed her relatives. "So here's Mr. U.S.A. and his halfies?"

"Jun—"

"Hey, like chill, Mom. It was you saying that—"

"Jun, this is your second cousin Seto and his baby brother Mokuba. This is your uncle Seiji. He's my first cousin. His father and my father are siblings, and—"

"Like, I get it. Cousins. Now, I'll sit." She plopped herself by the sofa, seating next to the biracial boy. "So you're the infamous black sheep that is the scourge of the honorable Nakamura family and soiled our name? The one who has brought nothing less than the Apocalypse to us all?"

Seiji nearly ogled at her as she looked at him earnestly. No clear response could come to his head.

However, Jun wasn't the kind of the girl who needed a response. It was perfectly normal for her to hold a full conversation without another person's half of it.

"I must say that I am disappointed. I was half-hoping someone from a motorcycle gang or a punk rocker or something. You look just like some ordinary corporate worker."

Suddenly, the image of his father in a punk rock outfit and a Mohawk entered Seto's mind briefly. It was, for lack of a better word, disturbing.

"Well," Seiji spoke, gaining some semblance of thought, "you must have been eleven since I've seen you. You look…_taller."_

"How's America Uncle Seiji?"

"Good."

"It must be really exciting compared to be in America compared to boring Japan. Like what do you do?"

"Well," Seiji started as the girl stared at him curiously. "I used to work in a construction firm as a manager, so I have some experience in corporate America. I used to be a civil engineer there, but I got promoted so worked in middle management for a while. We used to own a pretty big house in a very nice town, but we sold it—"

"Wow, I'm bored. I was like expecting someone exciting when I heard the dude who married the American chic was coming over. How disappointing!"

Hiroko laughed weakly, giving a quick glare to her unimpressed daughter. "Why don't you show Seto to his room? He's tired from the trip."

Jun rolled her eyes. "Great. I'm like stuck with a five-year-old."

"Hey! I'm seven."

"Whatever. Come on, kid." Seto grimaced at the condescending reference towards him as he grabbed his backpack and followed her as they headed towards the stairs. The teenager's complete disregard for him and his father irritated him. She lead him towards a small square-sized room that held nothing save for a tatami mat. He seated his backpack on the floor as he stared at her quietly.

"Why do you wear that stuff?" Seto asked, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"I don't believe to the same standards of beauty as every other Japanese girl," Jun replied haughtily. "My friends and I are unique, so we have our own special sense of style to stand out."

"So you dress just like your friends to be different?"

Jun glared as Seto grinned in a not-so-innocent manner. "Hey kid, I don't have any comics or anything, so you better figure out a way to entertain yourself."

"I don't like comics," Seto replied importantly.

"You don't? What an odd kid."

Seto narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "How about we play a game?"

"Choose what you want," she said as she stared at her painted pink nails indifferently.

"How about chess?"

"Like kid, don't cry on me when I win."

Seto smirked. "Oh, I don't plan to."

...

"So I hear that your son's a very talented boy?" the woman asked as she sipped her tea.

"WHAT? I JUST LOST TO A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD!" Loud screams and screeching ensued from upstairs as further sounds of stomping and loud laughter followed. Hiroko gaped at the source of the further screeching, blushing a bright tomato red as she heard a few curse words.

"You could say that academics are definitely a strength." He took another sip from his cup.

"Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Hiroko replied awkwardly, returning her attention towards her cousin.

"Hmm."

"Well, it would be expected. You were the first in the family to go to college."

Seiji said nothing as he continued to sip tea from his cup. Seiji's father always dreamed that he would become a doctor or a police inspector. When he realized that his son had no talent for athletics whatsoever, he pushed his son towards his doctor dream. Therefore, his father had always put high expectations in education for him. His decision to become an engineer and study in America angered him. He had never approved of Seiji's amusement park plans.

"I suppose financially that you are set?"

Seiji put down his cup onto the table. He had expected that there would curiosity from his relatives' part on his sudden return. "I'm going to build that park that I always planned."

Hiroko laughed. "You mean that silly dream that you had as a child?"

"Yes." He grimaced at she snickered.

"Really Seiji? Japan's going through an economic recession, and you're going to build an amusement park for them?" She giggled hysterically, wiping the tears off her face. "You were always impractical. And exactly how are you going to build this 'park?'"

"I've been contacting people. Plus, I've got some money, but I plan to find some business partners. There are plenty of wealthy Japanese businessmen."

"Right," the woman drawled sarcastically. "There's plenty of wealthy men just willing to hand their money over to ordinary people with nothing but dreams. I suppose you'll be spending all of your time canvassing them too."

"I'm not stupid, Hiroko. I've gotten a job in a prestigious company for now."

"What kind of job?"

"Manager. The construction firm that I worked for had the opportunity to build the American headquarters of a Japanese company a long time ago. When they first offered, I was going to refuse because it would require me to move to Japan. However, I need to be here to work on the park, so I took it. I need money to support my kids."

"What _prestigious_ company is it?"

"KaibaCorp." He picked up his cup of tea and took another sip.

* * *

Obviously, it took Seiji a lot longer than a month to sell his house, but that's how Seto sees it. His view of Japan is a bit skewed, but he's only seven.

You guys should look up ganguro girls. They have a very interesting sense of style.

* * *

To **hateandkill-D**, anonymous/signed...I'm not picky. Glad to know that you liked this chapter...Now a whole new chapter...in Japan.

To **KasumiCho**, yup. Brian doesn't have any chance at any popularity contests. He'd be one of those super cocky athletes that used to bully people in high school. I almost feel bad for him b/c he knows that he's partially responsible for the person's death that he loved the most

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, Seiji really needs his Laura. She's so straightforwards about her emotions, unlike Seiji. Of course I had to have Seto be nice about it...or I'd personally have spanked him if he threw a tantrum. Though many flames might come if the author actually came into the story out of nowhere and spanked a the chibi version of a canon character

To **Sakura Takanouch**i, I've read another stories (mostly oneshots) that discussed Kaiba bros relationship before his adoption, and Kaiba always seems to hate Mokuba for a minute, and then he likes him and feels overprotective after some adult tells him like one sentence. They're not bad stories, but that's not what I'm planning. Plus, little Seto's too stubborn for that. In this story anyway.

To **loveroffics**, the salt story was so related to the story. Seiji's love for Seto is like salt; he's not the type of person who always stands out or is special, but he'd do anything to protect that kid. Who knows what he's do to Gozaburo if he found out what we knew?

To **ml101**, lol. If Brian takes away from the pointless Tea-bashing, then I suppose an anti-Brian club might be worth it. The story part was the most fun to write in the chapter. Seto is not going to be patient because he's way too smart. He realizes how stupid the king was in the first place for asking his sons who loves him most. I adore writing kid Seto and his precociousness.

To **Makai-Rahl**, all kids listen to adults and do stupid things. Obviously, he'll grow up a bit in the story. As for Mokie, he doesn't really know anything, so he's not affected psychologically or anything.

To **susie25**, I am American. (Though I have family in Canada.) Part of why I chose Laura to be American. Of course, there are other reasons of course. Kaiba goes to America to build a Kaibaland park, if I'm correct.

To **Meconopsis**, little Seto is so freakin' cute. Naturally, I'd turn one of the coldest characters on the show into adorableness. The actual Seto Kaiba would not approve.

To **WolfStar713**, the grandparents, they are so judgmental of Seiji. He's hard-working, a good father, and was a good husband, but they still can't get over their prejudice to him. Plus, they, especially Frank, are desperate to hold anything of Laura's to him. Brian needs to stop acting like a victim, but that's his character. Also, I'm glad that you like that dragon touch.

To **Kermita**, I adore kids, but they can get annoying at times. They always ask so many questions or get in stupid arguments. It was a bit insane, but the younger ones usually get quiet if you tell them a crazy story or something. Thought, why not tell Seto a story, but not make it too sappy.


	12. Girl, Once You Go Asian

**Chapter 12 – Girl, Once You Go Asian**

12/28/08

**Disclaimer: **I have a broken battery adapter, an uncooperative laptop that constantly shuts down, and a pair of cheap headphones that doesn't work. Does this sound like the owner of Yu-gi-oh to you?

THANK YOU FOR 100+ REVIEWS!

You rock!

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to update recently, but school and life in general have been keeping me busy. Plus a broken laptop. Hopefully, that'll be fixed by the end of the week. I am using my parents' ancient computer to upload this chapter.

Notes:

Hiroko Ito is Seto's father's first cousin that disapproves of him. Met her last chapter.

Random fact: Seiji literally means manages affairs of state/lawful. Now you know why I named him that.

* * *

When Hiroko Ito hummed to herself as she held a bag of groceries, she expected another day of the mundane and expected as she trudged through the winter roads. She was pleased with the completion of one of her chores for the day. As her mitten-clad hands held tightly onto the bags, she headed toward a small path that stood before a wooden-framed home. The previous day's snowstorm came and covered everything, leaving a sense of equity. Snow outlined the bonsai trees, grounds, and the thatched roofing. The only part without snow was the path that she had shoveled personally. She smiled at herself proudly as she picked up the hem of her kimono to head towards the porch.

That was until she heard the loud shrieks that came from the two-story home that she was about to enter.

Hiroko groaned. Any hopes of routine tranquility were vanquished.

Ever since her younger cousin Seiji and his half-blood offspring had moved from America, Hiroko rarely had a moment's peace. Seiji was uncomfortable with the notion of daycare and the concept of strangers caring for his children, so he made an arrangement with Hiroko to watch his sons at his house while he worked. The hefty check that he left, though Hiroko had profusely declined before accepting, did not hurt either.

As she opened the wooden front door and entered, the sounds of screaming grew. She quietly removed her shoes—for Hiroko Ito was not so impolite as to kick off shoes—and stealthily walked through the hallways of the house.

To her dismay she found her seven-year-old nephew arguing with her fifteen-year-old daughter Jun, who dangled a remote control from the brunette's reach. The boy tried to grab it, but the ganguro girl's incredibly long arms held the desired object at a high distance and giggled as his attempts to get it. Seto, insulted by his brazen cousin's mockery, lunged at the remote. This caused his cousin to lose balance, resulting in her being sprawled onto the tatami-matted floor with the boy on top of her.

Hiroko sighed. The Japanese woman was a sharp and intelligent domestic housewife. She was an excellent cook, kept an ordered and clean house, found the greatest sales in times of a great recession, and held position as a secretary of a local women's association. Nonetheless the middle-aged woman was clueless on how to deal with Seto's and Jun's endless arguments. The two of them were similar to gasoline and fire. They were volatile elements that should never be mixed unless one wished an explosion.

In that extremely awkward and uncomfortable position, Seto took the opportunity to swipe the remote from his cousin's hand. The platinum blonde, uncomfortable with the weight of the brunette on top of her head, pushed the boy off her. It took a few minutes for her to realize that object that they had been so furiously fighting for was no longer in her possession.

"Hey! Give it back to me!" The ganguro girl screamed. "I was watching 'Milliseconds of Our Lives!'"

"I'm not watching that idiotic drama any longer! I'm playing Mortal Kombat! You can watch your stupid soap opera at your own house!"

"It is not a stupid soap opera! It is a brilliant tale of the most gorgeous guy in the world, so give me back that remote control before you get it!"

Seto smirked. The show was about a beautiful girl that moved to a town and captured the attention of a cold, mysterious, and, of course, handsome man. In the last episode, it had been revealed that he was the long-lost twin of his supposed identity and was man with no memory. The beautiful girl named Sakura was currently going through turmoil about her true feelings, strung between her affection for the handsome man and anxiety of his possible tragic past.

Further screaming ensued about the evils of cliché plots and amnesia, while the other shrieked about the godliness of Ken Tanaka. Hiroko was starting to get a headache from the copious amount of noise that she endured. As the two argued, she grabbed the remote from Seto's hands and held it tightly.

"That's enough." Hiroko stated quietly as the pair faced her sullenly. "If the two of you can't be quiet and watch television, then neither of you will get the remote. Besides Jun, you're fifteen and nearly a young woman. You should know better."

"Mom, stop being so lame. This is a back-to-back marathon! Like, do you realize how much of my life you that you are depriving me of? That's totally unfair!"

"I'm sure that they'll be re-runs on another day," the petite woman answered coolly. "Besides, you should read more books. You need to keep those grades up. Learn something from Seto." She swiftly headed towards the kitchen, holding the remote in one hand and the bag of groceries in the other. Silently she cursed Seiji for insisting that Seto was a quiet and obedient child. She almost wished that she secretly drank sake like the other housewives.

Quickly Jun seized a pocket mirror from her purse and further applied white concealer to her lips. Smacking her lips, she smiled as she fixed the ends of her pigtails and the two strands of her hair in the front. The teenager grabbed a fashion magazine that she had brought and slumped onto the wooden loveseat that his father had recently bought. She rested her feet onto the low wooden table.

Seto straightened himself, moving away from his cousin's view. He refused to let her think that she won the argument in any manner. Her quarrel had prevented him from playing the Sega video game console that his father bought for Christmas. Grabbing an astronomy book, he opened it to read. Seto quickly glanced at his cousin as she carelessly flipped through the pages of the magazine.

If Seto could have gotten a plane ticket and had known where his passport was, he would have boarded an airplane to America at that precise moment. After living in Japan for a few weeks, he had decided that he hated the country.

He hated their stupid chopsticks. For a few days, Seto struggled to eat with those strange utensils that were so common in this new land. In America his father was the only one who used them to eat Japanese food, so the notion of eating with two wooden sticks was challenging and highly inconvenient. Seto grimaced at the memory of his cousin giggling as he struggled to pick a piece of sushi with them.

He grew exhausted of the food. Seto especially hated his father's favorite item miso soup. He wanted the hearty chicken noodle or the creamy tomato soup that his grandmother made. His grandmother would top it with small amounts of cheese, making it the perfect warm item on a cold winter day. Instead of his beloved stews, he constantly ate a yellowish concoction of kelp and soybean paste.

He also hated his new home. On the first floor, a toilet, kitchen, and living room were designated. On the second floor, there were three bedrooms and a bathroom. In Seto's opinion it was illogical that the toilet and the bathroom were two separate rooms. This layout made no sense. His father had a simple and conservative style; therefore, he decorated everything with wooden furniture. Seiji may have been talented in designing something as intricate and creative as an amusement park, but he had no sense of interior decorating whatsoever.

When father presented the idea that they would be lying on the floor, Seto thought he was making a bad joke. Yet as his father prepared a futon and covered it with sheets, he was utterly aghast by the thought. After several deep and well-thought discussions with Seiji, he convinced the man that a bed might be an excellent investment.

More than anything else, Seto felt lonely in Japan because he did not feel as if he belonged. There was no one else who he could relate to.

The ganguro girl tossed the magazine onto the wooden table and glanced at the boy in annoyance. Seto met her eyes with equal displeasure. He wasn't the type to be easily bullied.

"Is there something interesting?"

Seto stated nothing as he returned his attention to his book. His cousin was simply baiting him for a fight. She was still sore about her loss to the chess match, though she was too proud to admit it.

"Excited about school? It's starting in a few weeks."

Seto shrugged. He did not expect anything thrilling out if it, though he wished his cousin would quit talking so much.

"You know, I don't know how it is America, but, in Japan, it sucks if you don't fit the prototypical perfect student. Straight As. Good at sports. Light skin. Modest and sweet." The girl sighed. "Like if you stand out or have a different opinion, then there must be something wrong with you."

Jun seated herself up and started to walk towards a small wooden cabinet. His eyes followed her as she picked up a silver picture frame. It was portrait of his mother. Laura flashed a toothy smile, adorning an off-shoulder red dress.

Seto grimaced as the teenager inspected the picture; she was not worthy to touch it.

"Your mom is gorgeous." Her sudden kind remark surprised Seto. Jun had never said anything that resembled a compliment before. His cousin's usual response was complaints about how boring her relatives were and going into long monologues on how pathetic that his father was the rebel of the family. "Wow! How the hell did Uncle Seiji get her?! He must be packing something major!"

Seto's eyes narrowed. No one got away with insulting his father, especially a girl who matched zebra print and bright pink stripes together. "He doesn't pack that much in his suitcase. Just work files and small stuff like that. What does that do with my mom?"

Jun laughed. Seto continued to stare at her in confusion as she stared at him in surprise. "You mean that you don't know how you got born? About the birds and the bees? The pollination of the flower? The making of honey?" Seto stared blankly at the teenager as she paused dramatically. "The drinking of the tea?"

"Tea? What does that have to do with anything?"

"A euphemism. It can be anything that you want it to be. Like, how do you think you were born?"

Seto proudly proceeded to explain about how God placed babies into the stomachs of married women and how extremely advanced machines at hospital were used to remove them after nine months.

For a few moments, Jun stared at the boy in shock. Then, after collecting herself for a few moments, she started to giggle hysterically.

There was one matter that infuriated Seto to no end, and that was being laughed at. He was a child prodigy, for heaven's sake. "I demand an explanation."

"Kid, has anyone ever told you to lighten up a bit?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a moron?" the boy snapped back.

She pulled a platinum blond hair strand that fell onto her face as she frowned. "You know, for a child genius that supposed super crazy brilliant, you are like totally naïve. I bet you still believe in Santa Claus."

"Do not. There's no logical reason why an old man would be able to travel the world and go to every house in one night."

"Did you also catch one of your parents putting the presents under the Christmas tree as well?"

Seto stated nothing as he severely eyed the girl. In fact he had seen his father wrapping his Christmas present when he was four years old, so any possibilities of believing in Santa were quickly squelched. He never revealed this information to his father because it brought Seiji great joy to see him open those presents. Besides, Seto liked those extra gifts.

Jun folded her arms smugly and grinned.

Seto was about to retort that he didn't listen to idiots when he heard the sound of wails from another room. His aunt, it seemed, failed in keeping the baby quiet. No matter what she did, she could not keep his brother from crying.

Seto glanced at his aunt as she attempted to bring a bottle of milk to the infant. There was a simple solution to this. He had seen his father do this several times and succeed.

The wails grew louder. Jun started to complain about the noise when Seto got up and headed to a room on the second floor. When he came down, he calmly walked to his middle-aged aunt and the howling infant and handed a rattle.

His aunt stared at him in confusion at the item. "I tried his rattle already. How's that going to keep him quiet?"

"This is my baby rattle. I don't know why it works, but it calms him. I've seen Daddy do this a bunch of times." Seto shook the rattle towards the baby's direction, causing the infant to quiet down. Mokuba started to coo after a few moments.

Hiroko picked up the rattle. "Finally. You were giving me a headache, Mokie."

Seto stated nothing as he returned to his seat and book. He felt an odd sense of relief when he no longer heard the baby's wails. No. It was simply the annoyance from the noise and not concern that convinced him to do this action.

* * *

More drama to come. See this as a Seto development chapter.

By the way I don't own Mortal Kombat and Sega. So don't sue. As the disclaimer mentioned, I can give you little.

Pass on the holiday spirit! Leave a review!

Happy Holidays!

* * *

To **Kermita**, you're right. Seto does not have a good impression of his relatives. If you think ganguro is weird, you should check out yamanba. Don't know what they were thinking.

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, glad you liked the chapter. If only Seiji knew the future. Great to hear from you.

To **KasumiCho**, I have read Memoirs of a Geisha, and I love it. It's one of my fav books ever. You should check out Geisha, A Life if you haven't read it already. Evidently, a lot of the facts about geisha life from Memoirs of a Geisha are completely inaccurate.

To **hateandkill-D**, aww. I'm so glad that you like my story like that. It's good to see that you agree with me how Seto saw Japan.

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, thanks for the grammar CC. I'm usually catch things when I edit, but I am guilty of rushing with that one. As for the KC idea, I figured that at least one OC who is actually qualified for the job should work for KaibaCorp.

To **ml101**, feel special. I used your tatami idea. I never even thought about that till you brought that up.

To **susie25**, good to know that you like where Seto's relationship with Mokuba is going. Good to hear from you.

To **MythCreatorWriter**, the theme of the salt story was planned. Though with Seiji crying on his own, I made that as a Seiji characteristic. I never thought of Kaiba when I wrote that. Although the parents share a couple of qualities that their kids have, they have vastly different personalities.

To **Demented Insane Spirit**, I'm glad that you like the geisha line. If this wasn't a serious story, I would probably add more humor, but I can't overdo it. And will keep at the details.

To **Wolfstar 713**, thanks for your thoughts about descriptions. Will keep that in mind. As for the punk rocker line about Seiji, I just had this image of Seiji rocking in a crazy getup and it was too funny to resist. I didn't think anyone else would get it, so it's good to know that you liked it.

To **Hit it Tyler**, I never heard of Keeping up with the Joneses by The Medic Droid. I named the chapter after the 1950s saying Keeping up with the Jones. Hope you keep enjoying and good to hear from a new reviewer.

To **Noc and NC**, I made those differences because I noticed that most fanfiction with a character moving to Japan don't show any differences at all. The character fits in so perfectly that it's abnormal.

To **Meconopsis**, KC drama will be soon. I'm looking forward to write it. Glad to know that you liked the chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.


	13. The Art of Corporate Mastication

**Chapter 13-The Art of Corporate Mastication**

4/23/09

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-gi-oh or any brand names or trademarks that I mention. They belong to their respective copyrights, owners, etc. (But I still own a laptop that's still uncooperative…)

It's been in obscene amount of time since I've updated, and I'm so sorry, but I've been insanely busy with life, particularly several group projects. (Warning for anyone. Avoid 10-people groups like the Black Plague. The free rider effect is a dangerous phenomenon.)

* * *

"You look very distinguished."

Almond-shaped blue eyes gazed approvingly at the lean man that stood by a wooden counter of the kitchen. Seiji wore a black pantsuit with a crisp white shirt and red tie underneath. His cropped jet black hair, usually plainly combed with short bangs that fell to his forehead, had more style with a bit of gel. With a mug in one hand and a newspaper in the other, the man sat next to Mokuba at an oak-finish dining table. The raven-haired infant shrieked excitedly in his high chair, outstretching his small hands towards the mug of steaming coffee.

"Thank you. You're still grounded."

Seto roughly stirred his cereal with his spoon, tapping his bowl in annoyance. The infant started to clap at his brother's clatter, irritating the seven-year-old further. "I don't think it's fair that I'm punished for fixing the video recorder."

"In the process, a few home videos have mysteriously been replaced with footage of blue-footed boobies. Can you care to explain?"

Seto grumbled wordlessly as he shoved a spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth. It wasn't his fault that idiotic cousin Jun had 'accidentally' handed him one of his father's precious, unmarked VHS tapes, claiming it to be a blank. He had been watching a National Geographic documentary on seabirds, only to be punished for being educational.

Seiji refrained from smiling when the sullen-faced boy started to complain about the unnecessary beings that were fifteen-year-old girls.

His dark brown, almost black, eyes scanned the headlines of his paper as he took a bite from his buttered toast. News of decreasing stock value and increasing oil prices littered the page.

"Don't you have a presentation today?" Seto asked, while his father turned a page of the newspaper.

"Yes, but how did you know?" Small bags appeared under Seiji's eyes due to staying up late to finalize some last-minute details.

"You were practicing in your room yesterday night. I saw." The brunette's eyes shined confidently as he spoke. The boy looked adorable in his school uniform, adorning a white round-collared shirt and gray shorts. "I read that one of the most important parts of business is presentation. When you were practicing your pitch, you were almost perfect."

"Almost?" Seiji asked, amused at boy's solemn tone. "And why were you awake?"

"I was on my way to the bathroom," Seto replied nonchalantly. "You'll get there, but they'll be so impressed by your theme park that they'll partner with you anyway. Daddy, can't the Japanese do something about their housing design? It's inconvenient to walk downstairs at night when I have to use the toilet."

For a moment, Seiji considered increasing the duration of the video game ban. "You'll have to learn to deal with it. Did you finish all of your homework?"

"Of course. You checked it yesterday."

"I'm not talking about the schoolwork. I'm talking about the crossword that I brought you."

Nodding, the boy looked a bit frustrated. Knowing Seto's love for games, his father brought crosswords, puzzles, and other similar items to challenge the boy. The gesture was appreciated, but he preferred Sonic the Hedgehog over a Rubik's cube. Alas, Seiji insisted that he needed to earn such treats by completing small tasks and chores.

Four months passed since the Nakamuras moved to Japan. Seto started school, quickly surpassing his classmates with his brilliance and natural athleticism. Despite his talent, or perhaps because of it, the boy lacked friends. Reserved in nature, Seto did not easily socialize. When he first arrived, his exotic features and newness fascinated them, warranting him to be the center of attention. After the novelty of the 'new kid' vibe passed, he became more of a stranger than he was in America. His position was 'biracial genius boy,' the kid who knew the answers to any question.

Seto, Seiji admitted, did not make adjust to Japan as quickly as he hoped. If he could magically give Seto friends, he would, but his son never seemed to truly relate to people of his own age.

Quickly chugging his coffee, he finished the rest of his cereal. Afterwards, he attempted to feed the nine-month-old a mashed muffin, though, to Seiji's chagrin, most of the contents ended onto his bib.

Soon, an annoyed ganguro girl in a sailor-styled uniform and a self-righteous housewife arrived, gracing their presence with usual graceless selves. After preventing the beginnings of yet another quarrel between Jun and Seto, Seiji headed towards the train station for work.

As he perused through the rest of the newspaper as he sat on the cheap vinyl seat of the train, Seiji couldn't help but feel a small bit of relief. Seiji loved Seto, but the average ratio for these arguments increased on a weekly basis. It bordered on insane.

Work continued with its usual monotony. Whether it included more paperwork or fixing an error with human resources, his job as an assistant manager of the Technology and Manufacturing department continued to be inanely routine as it had been for the last few months. In the little white-washed hole that he called his office, he executed the orders that management gave, brainlessly.

Most people would be content with a comfortable, well-paid position in such a prestigious company, but Seiji Nakamura was a restless dreamer in the disguise of a practical man. He could only be satisfied with bringing his own dreams, the park, into reality.

Seiji was eight when he went to his first amusement park. His grandfather brought him there because he was crying from being bullied. A kid in his class pushed him onto the ground for being the only student who got a perfect score for an exam. His shorts were caked with mud, and his elbows were badly scraped, bleeding. Seiji's father told that he needed to learn to stand up for himself, while his mother fussed and worried, quickly submitting when her husband scolded her for babying him.

His grandfather, the one he named Seto after, reacted differently. He instructed his daughter Kotoko to properly clean his wounds and told him that he was going to take him to a wonderful place.

The wonderful place was a small amusement park that Seiji passed a few times but never went. Compared to the elaborate theme parks that he later visited, the antiquated place barely compared, but, in his eight-year-old eyes, it was heaven. Screaming excitedly at roller coaster dipped at a sudden turn or staring onto the ground from gondola of a Ferris wheel, he felt absolute bliss. It was the type of perfect innocence that only a child could feel. No worries. No burdens. Someone was there to protect. As he ate shaved ice that his grandfather bought, he wondered if he could bring such happiness to other people. His life could have some meaning if he did.

When Seiji told his grandfather that he planned to build the park, the man gave neither support nor discouragement. He quietly spoke a few words of advice, something that Seiji lived by. "Be honest in whatever you do."

Between his and Laura's income and any investments that he held, Seiji had more than enough money in the bank in case of any emergency, but it was not enough to build an amusement park. He needed partners.

For months, even while he was in America, Seiji contacted several businessmen, making several phone calls in order to schedule a meeting with them. Most of them declined, stating that they weren't interested in any new ventures. A few wealthy men were arranged for an appointment, but today's prospect held the most promise so far.

During his lunch break, Seiji scheduled a meeting with a banker.

Seiji felt like an excited schoolboy as he sat across a middle-aged man in an extremely classy restaurant. The man, dressed in an Armani suit, listened as Seiji explained, with an assortment of charts, pie graphs, and brochures—laminated, of course—about a fantasy themed park with a numerous types of rides, ranging from water rides to a carousel. He discussed about benefits of "pay-one-price" tickets, plans of incorporating the food chain Burger World, and budget issues. Finally, with a final enthusiastic smile, he ended the proposal, stating that the park would revolutionize theme parks in all of Japan.

"Excuse me, but what do you exactly do?"

"You mean, my job?" Seiji asked, slightly surprised by the question. This was not the type of response that he expected. "I'm an assistant manager at Kaiba Corporation."

"KaibaCorp. That's a great company. I suggest that you stick with it."

Seiji tried to not let his face appear crestfallen, his shoulders tightening at the response. Forcing a polite smile, he rose as the man stood from his seat and leaned slightly towards the white linen covered table to shake the man's hands. "Thank you for this opportunity. I truly appreciate it. If you have any questions, you have my business card. I will—"

"Hmph. I trust that you can foot the bill? I see that as only appropriate as you've completely wasted my time." Seiji continued to force the pleasant smile, fighting the urge to suggest that the man get a hair transplant. After a few moments of standing awkwardly, he quietly sat onto the green banquet chair, steadying from shock.

This man blatantly insulted his work as if he was some crackpot. Seiji put years of dedication to that amusement park, practically a childhood dream.

A nearby clink of wine goblets followed the high pitch of laughter.

Well, that's one point for Hiroko. Seiji could envision his older cousin grinning in that "I-told-you-so" expression that seemed reserved for him.

They were her mantra, words that she politely framed with her belittling laugh in attempt to hide the true meaning. _You are nobody. You are a loser. Who are you to think that you can do something extraordinary?_

Seiji picked up a brown briefcase and roughly opened it, flicking open the latch. He should have known better than excite himself over this meeting. He was a no-name in the business world, therefore a risk. Compared to the tycoons that controlled the Japanese economy, he had no finances, power, or influence. During an economic depression, people did not risk their money on an idea, no matter how good it was. Most stuck to the safe formula and put their money with what they knew.

He hardly felt as if he could face Seto in that moment. Ever since his son found the blueprints, the boy grew attached, even going as far as to give his advice and ideas on it.

Hastily throwing the charts and files into the briefcase, uncharacteristic of his usual impeccable organization, he quickly snapped close the suitcase and slipped into his coat. When a waiter came with the bill, Seiji scribbled a check and headed toward the entrance of the restaurant.

The strong whip of cold wind hit him as he opened the gold-tinted doors of the restaurant. Holding tightly to his gray trench coat, the thin man hugged himself as he joined the mob of people in the business district of Domino City and headed towards to the skyscraper with the insignia KC.

...

Placing a bill into a slot of a vending machine, Seiji pressed a button after choosing a drink. A bottle of green tea was released. Seiji bent towards a compartment to reach it. Rising up, he twisted the cap and took a deep sip of the cold drink.

Human resources still hadn't fixed their error. Even in a multi-national company like Kaiba Corporation, they were inefficient.

Seiji sighed, irritated. In fifteen minutes, the managers at from the Technology department would have meeting. It, Seiji learned, was a badly veiled excuse for the upper management at KaibaCorp to brag about their supposed prowess and a social event for the lower managers to mindlessly flatter in attempt a climb the corporate ladder.

More ass-kissing would commence.

After working in the company for roughly three months, Seiji disliked the impersonal environment of the entire company. Although he had met his share of uninteresting and cold businessmen from his job at the construction firm, KaibaCorp was something else altogether.

He respected and believed in hard work and diligence, but there was an unnecessary elitism among his co-workers that he, to say politely, did not enjoy.

Yet, as this afternoon had shown, he would have to endure the snobbery longer. Funding would take time to get. His shoulders still tensed from thinking about the meeting. The banker had been such an asshole.

Laura, he imagined, would have insulted the man without hesitation while keeping a charming smile on her face. She always had such a way with words….

"Hey Nakamura! Are you surviving the economy?"

Seiji turned around to the source of the friendly voice. He faced a shorter man with a dark mustache and thick glasses, carrying a huge stack of files with both hands. The man was Roland Isono, a personal assistant of the Chair Executive Officer. On Seiji's first day, Roland had directed the thirty-one-year-old to his office. Another employee, upset that some stranger had taken the job, attempted to sabotage Seiji by giving false directions of his office. If not for Roland's help, Seiji would have lost his job within the first day. Ever since, they became friends. Whenever they chanced to meet, they had friendly banter, discussing of the news and local happenings of the city.

"Keeping up. How about you?"

"Same as usual, though hectic. It's just work, work, work. I can't believe how boring that my life's become."

"I thought that you said that you were dating that Canadian girl from advertisement."

Roland sighed. "Well, I was, but that didn't work out. I have no time for a relationship. If you want a career, you have to sacrifice something."

"You're twenty-six years old. You need a personal life too."

"Sorry, Nakamura, but I'm currently attempting to climb the corporate ladder." An envelope slipped, nearly falling on the ground. The man nervously grinned as he caught it. "By the way, did you hear about the story about the politician the other day?"

"The one who got accused of getting bribes for the legislature seat?"

Roland nodded. "Well, the politician still kept his seat, since he technically won. I've met the man before for business. He's a pleasant fellow."

"Well, these politicians will promise you candies and rose in one speech and do something else in the next. It's all about winning votes and getting constituents." Seiji added bitterly, "Some people can get away with anything."

"I hear in America that it's a near death sentence to a political career to be accused of being a socialist."

"True. Socialism is a close second. Atheism wins."

Roland shook his head. American politics and their several contradictions baffled him. "Oh. That reminds me. I heard about your subordinate the other day. You probably shouldn't have given her a break."

Seiji stiffened, surprised by the man's sudden trail of thought. "It's my section, and, if she needs a few days to sort out her personal issues, I will give it to her. A frazzled project manager will be inefficient. She's even agreed to not being paid for sick leave."

"I hear that she's having issues with her family." Noticing the older man's confused expression, he explained, "One of the secretaries informed me. You know how they gossip."

Seiji nodded understandingly. "Her daughter's got health issues, and from what I understand, her husband's got major gambling debt. She's the only consistent source of income."

"Poor woman. I heard that he's an alcoholic, but you shouldn't concern yourself with such details."

"I'm not doing something that's out of my power, Isono. It is part of my responsibility to bring a suitable atmosphere to the job environment." His words felt forced as he spoke, almost unnatural. To be honest, he empathized with this woman, remembering how difficult his brother-in-law became when he got drunk. There were several incidents when Brian needed to be bailed from jail after his numerous drunken fights. In one case, Brian became so angry that he smashed the window of a pizza shop for not having his favorite topping.

"You're a decent guy, Nakamura. I wish there were more people in the company like you. Maybe, even the world—"

Seiji interrupted. "Isono, save the cheesy speech for the department heads. I didn't save the world or find the cure to cancer. I just did my job." Roland chuckled at the taller man's flippant expression. His mild-mannered friend was not especially witty, but he occasionally said a sarcastic remark that made him laugh. "Plus, I work for an arms manufacturer. That's a contradiction."

"Contradiction or not, it's true. I still wish that I was as composed as you. I don't see how you can be so calm all the time. My job's so stressful. The boss, he's so…inflexible." Roland finished, fumbling for the right word.

Unlike Roland, Seiji never cared enough about the corporation to truly stress, but he wasn't about to tell him that. "The man might be a bit demanding, but he runs a multi-billion dollar corporation. How can he not be?"

"You don't get it. Master Kaiba likes control. If he sees someone undermine him in any way..." Roland's voice trailed as if contemplating something, leaving his mouth to frown slightly. After deliberating for a few moments, the bespectacled man's lips twisted into a big grin, as if he changed his mind. "Well, see you in the meeting. Remember to bring your protective gear for the corporate sharks," the man added as he headed towards the meeting.

Seiji gave a small wave. After taking another sip from his bottle of green tea, the tall Japanese man picked up his briefcase from the floor and entered the boardroom.

* * *

A blue-footed booby is a type of seabird.

Mastication refers to chewing.

* * *

To **hateandkill_d**, Jun does deserve some slapping. And lil Seto's cute. I always say that biracial children make some of the cutest kids.

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, maybe Seto does care about Mokie. Maybe he doesn't. Sorry. Poor attempts of being mysterious.

To **MythCreatorWriter**, I'm guessing that he stopped believing in God when he got adopted by Gozaburo or was at the orphanage. I think older Seto Kaiba has a low emotional intelligence, something that Mokie in the anime makes up for. He doesn't seem to know how to deal with people beyond business settings.

To **KasumiCho**, thank you for your fav and compliment! I honestly thought that chap was crap at first. All I've noticed was that I become pickier about what I read on this website. Hope you enjoyed the book. Hope you update Fall Back to Life and hope everything's going okay. Good luck with your book.

To **WolfStar713**, I'm glad to know that the descriptions have been getting better. Descriptions of places have always been my weaknesses because I don't want to overwhelm the readers with too much. Thanks for your review.

To **Kermita**, glad you like Jun. Or find her funny. She's a love/hate character filled with ganguroness. If I was Miss Hiroko, I would be so annoyed, but, as I can be as evil as I want to imaginary characters, Hiroko must go through torture.

To **susie25**, you probably don't remember this, but Seto came up with that belief about babies on his own. He didn't buy the stork story that his parents were trying to feed him. The real geniuses behind that explanation are my real-life parents. I added the part about advanced machinery because he was Kaiba. That's how my parents stopped me from asking questions. They explained that they had me through prayer.

To **ml101**, good to hear that you're better. Your health is more important than this silly fanfic. I got sick over my spring break, and it sucked.

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, it's really lucky that the title worked out. This story was originally a oneshot. I honestly never thought that this story would have gone anywhere beyond that. As for most of the characters, they are all foreigners or outsiders to some extent.

To **Demented Insane Spiri**t, ah another fellow owner of an uncooperative laptop. I give all my sympathy. There should be a sisterhood of the broken battery adapters. Was lil Seto that much of an ass? (glances at chibi Seto) Yeah. He does have some overconfident tendencies, but he wouldn't be Seto without them.

To **Noc and NC**, ha ha. Even cold-hearted C.E.O's must have once not know about the birds and the bees. Jun and Seto's arguments are fun to write. They have such different personalities that it's hilarious. Though I'm pretty sure that little Seto is glaring daggers at me for it. (If he was real, of course...)

To **Happy Penguin**, your review made me laugh. Insane in the membrane. (Warning: This fanfic writer is easily amused.) I hope you did well on your German final. I had to learn Spanish. Spanish 3 majorly sucked. Looking forward to your uberly cool review.

To **Meconopsis**, I'm thrilled that you liked my previous chapter and my other fic. I got a better response for that piece than I expected. (And I'm not a Gozaburo fan either...) The whole birds and the bees was so much fun to write, so I'm glad to know that you enjoyed it.

To **evil sasuke girl**, I'm glad that you enjoyed the story. Sorry that I haven't updated soon enough.

To **Blueglaceon**, I wish that I could chibi Seto, but I'm not good at drawing manga. He's cute though...

To **XxCharliexX, **I'm glad that you enjoyed my story. Hope you continue to enjoy.


	14. On the Rocks

**Chapter 14 – On The Rocks**

5/30/09

**Disclaimer:** I must the state this obvious fact to please any lawsuit lookers, but I own neither Yu-gi-oh or any other references that are mentioned in this FANfiction. OCs and plot are mine. Plagiarism, despite some sayings, is not equivalent to flattery.

* * *

Seiji Nakamura was trained as an engineer, so, when a problem came upon him, he thought skeptically and methodically by weighing the options and choosing the best one, preferring to find a solution quickly and efficiently as possible. Perhaps, that was why he had little patience for business meetings. Unlike his straightforward search for an answer, the meetings included a dance of flattery and strutting thrown among the upper and lower management, before the obvious solution was decided.

As Seiji entered the location of the meeting, he glanced at the well-designed room. Painted off-white walls surrounded the boardroom, holding little furniture beyond a cherry wood table, a small projector, a flip board, and other office items. Several black cantilever chairs surrounded the long table that many well-dressed businessmen crowded.

Finding an empty chair near the middle of table, Seiji seated himself next to an elderly manager, who was currently in a deep discussion about stocks. The gray-haired man paid the thirty-one-year-old no attention, bragging to his subordinate about his connections at the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

He glanced at his watch, which read 3:27. In a few minutes, the meeting would start. Glancing at the right side of the table, Seiji spotted Nesbitt, a lean man with a high forehead, stare coldly at his subordinates, folding his arms in an arrogant expression. Seiji rarely dealt with any of the Big Five directly, usually receiving faxes or messages on his beeper, but, on the few occasions that he did, he decided that the department head was the most unemotional and anti-social human that he ever met. Nesbitt's beady orbs seemed to eye the managers as if they were no greater than vermin.

Turning his attention away from the department head, Seiji quickly grabbed a yellow lined notepad and a pen from his briefcase. Hopefully, Nesbitt's presence meant that the meeting would end quickly, for it was well known among the company that he lacked patience for prattling.

The doors opened to a tall man in a red double-breasted suit, quickly grabbing the room's attention and silencing the chatter. Thick gray sideburns, mustache, and brows framed his strong features. A smug expression crossed his face, an air of self-assured confidence on his strong jaw and lips. The man eyed the group of managers, who, along with Seiji, rose up from their seats in respect of his presence. Roland quickly greeted the man, handing him a white envelope. The man snatched it as his assistant followed his brisk pace. Seiji noticed that his friend's head was more cowered than usual, demonstrating none of his usual vibrancy.

Gozaburo Kaiba. Seiji never crossed paths with the CEO, but he had read enough newspapers to know a bit. Reporters praised Gozaburo Kaiba for being an extraordinary asset to the Japanese economy and great philanthropist, recently giving a huge sum of money to a local orphanage, one of several charitable organizations. The media seemed to adore the man; however, a few outspoken journalists stated that the man was ruthless, laying claims that dirty tactics were used to overthrow competition.

After the tall man seated himself onto a chair at the left end of the long table, Seiji, along with the other businessmen, followed suit and sat down. Seiji peered at Gozaburo as he disinterestedly rummaged through the papers in the envelope that Roland just handed him. The man's features dripped with a delusional amount of entitlement and arrogance, but such qualities were typical in many Japanese businessmen.

His attention to the CEO was interrupted by Nesbitt, who rose on the opposite side of the table. "We are here to discuss the need to cut production. As many of you are, or should be aware, sales of AK-47s have dropped in the last quarter. The demand has decreased since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and production needs to address this trend." Nesbitt's robotic tone continued without any change in inflection.

Seiji quickly scribbled notes onto his pad as the man droned about other aspects of production. Seiji disliked conflict, let alone war, but it wasn't as if he did any of the manufacturing or production. His corporate career lay with its paperwork.

In between comments of the information on the latest model of arsenal and the figures on production, Seiji forced himself from yawning. Nesbitt, it seemed, spoke with as much personality as a robot, something that Seiji vaguely wondered if he was.

The technology expert sat down, leaving several subordinates to clap with glum enthusiasm.

At the opposite side of the table, the CEO rose. "KaibaCorp faces difficult times." Eyes flew to him as he paused for a moment in silence as the attention pressed onto his. Seiji found something undeniably compelling about him, having all of the magnetic charisma that the former speaker lacked. "Unfortunately, Japan's current economic state has strained the KaibaCorp's sales. It is an unfortunate decision, no doubt, but sometimes, we must choose the more difficult one. Due to falling sales in weapons, KaibaCorp must be forced to restructure several of our departments. It is regrettable, no doubt, but necessary. Roland is passing you handouts on whether your division will be affected."

Restructure? Seiji's eyes widened as he picked up a document that was passed towards him. In the current economy, it would be nearly impossible to find a decently paying job, particularly among unskilled workers. Firing a huge group of employees would add to the already growing pool of unemployed. Besides, from his conversations with Roland, he had been under the impression that KaibaCorp had been flourishing, not dealing with major financial crisis.

Quickly, he searched for his name on the paper. Nagaoka Fudo. Naito Masa. Nakamura Seiji. A pang of sadness came upon him when he realized that a few of his departments would be terminated. He had fired employees before, but never on the same scale.

While a balding manager rose to discuss missiles, Seiji peered at Gozaburo as he stared coldly towards the group. His forehead furrowed deeply into a frown, almost calculating. The man quickly glanced at Seiji, catching him from the corner of eyes. They were cold and unfeeling, holding no kind of regret or genuine care.

They were dangerous. Something in Seiji tensed as he stared into them.

Perhaps, the company could lower the employee's checks and take budget cuts among the higher management's salaries. This could possibly lower the amount of terminated employees. Maybe, he could bring this idea during the meeting…

As quickly as that thought entered his mind, he squelched it. It was not his business if Gozaburo Kaiba was a good man or how he ran his company. All that mattered was a paycheck to provide for his family.

Nothing less. Nothing more.

...

"Could you quit following me?"

Seto rose away from the raven-haired infant as a pair of small hands quickly clasped his blue jeans. Mokuba gurgled cheerfully in his light green sleeper, as the boy pulled away, and set himself to crawl on fours towards the elder boy, once again.

For the past half hour, his brother had been crawling towards him in an annoyingly persistent manner. Whenever Seto got up and picked himself away, his brother, being rather stupid in his opinion, seemed to enjoy this sort of chase and continued to follow. Mokuba seemed to think that Seto was playing a game, not avoiding him.

"Like kid, could you just let him hold onto you? He just likes following you."

Seto narrowed his eyes, deciding to pay no attention to the ganguro girl who lounged on the tan couch. He was not letting some baby, particularly his own brother, win against him.

Jun rolled her eyes at her cousin's stubbornness and returned to her conversation as she pressed the corded phone to her ear. "So, anyway, did you see Mayumi's outfit? That shirt with those pants are like so not hot! I mean, who wears navy blue and black?"

Seto wanted to retort that her current outfit, consisting of a yellow skort, neon green tank top, and rainbow-colored suspenders, were much more questionable, but he had no desire to be grounded any further. Two weeks without video games had been enough torture.

"So like anyway, I heard that Masumi's going out with Nobu, but Nobu's secretly screwing Ai in the janitor's closet during lunch. That girl's like so naïve. And she had the actual gall to tell me that I'm a childish bitch. Such a fucktard!" Seto frowned. Although he was not quite sure what tools had to do between males and females, he did not like the tone of this conversation. "And she thinks that Masa Takahashi is like the totally hottest drama star on the face of the television ever. Hello? Ken Tanaka! What a dumbass fangirl!"

Since Seto was deeply absorbed into this conversation as he held a book with his right hand, he failed to notice Mokuba come closer and pat him. When he noticed tiny fingers lightly tug his jeans, he jerked away, causing the infant to fall and hit his head against the low wooden table in front of him.

"Are you kidding me? Well, I gotta go. My so-called genius cousin has little brother issues. Bye." Jun returned the receiver onto the base and scooped up the wailing infant from the ground. "Like kid, what's your problem? Even if he is an annoying brat, he is just playing with you."

"If you didn't get me in trouble, I would be playing with my Sega." Of course, this had nothing to do with Mokuba's current state, but Seto wan't about to admit that. Seto quickly scanned the boy's head for a bump, even though it was impossible to tell from the mass of hair. A small relief came to him when his brother's cries started to lessen as the teenager rocked the infant.

"Mokie, your brother is a complete dumb-ass." Mokuba clasped onto the yellow beads of Jun's necklace, fascinated by the obnoxious brightness of it.

"Cursing shows ill-breeding and a lack of vocabulary. Don't say such bad words in front of Mo-, I mean, the baby!" Seto declared, causing the pig-tailed girl to glare at him.

"Congratafuckulations, you are officially a prick. I'll make sure that his first words are curses!"

Fortunately for the innocent infant's ears, but unfortunate for herself, Hiroko arrived in a light pink kimono and a pair of dirty gardening gloves that she was holding with her left hand. She had been planting snow willow in the front yard, despite her younger cousin's insistence that such help was unnecessary. Any pleasant expression across her round face would be short-lived.

She groaned. It seemed to be a common sound that she frequently uttered whenever she entered the residence. "I see that I can't leave you for ten minutes without expecting chaos. Jun, I'm tired of—"

"Of me not being a proper lady. Blah, blah, blah. Sorry mom, but tea ceremony and flower arranging are not my thing. Anyway, now you're here…" The lanky girl handed the baby to the petite woman and plopped onto the couch. "Taking care of babies are not my thing, either."

The middle-aged woman paused momentarily, wondering if she should continue her lecture of the accepted etiquette of proper ladies and the ills of adopting western mannerisms among the Japanese youth, but the forming tears of Mokuba's slate-colored eyes convinced her against this action. Pressing against the wooden-framed sliding door, she headed toward the kitchen, her haven of proper civility.

Paying no attention to Seto's agitated expression, Jun placed a pair of headphones over her ears as she turned on her walkman. Her voice hummed to a catchy tune as her fingers strummed on the wooden arm of the futon couch.

At least his father's latest gift, a book of sudoku puzzles, should pass the time in a quick manner. The sudoku included nine huge boxes, in which he had to fill every single space with numbers that ranged from 1 to 9 without overlapping horizontally or vertically. He grabbed a pencil from the low table and started to neatly fill a row on the left. 5. 7. 3. 2. Going to next row, he scanned for any other possibilities and filled in further numbers.

It was at the seventh page of the book when he looked up to see his father, shoes removed and holding his usual leather suitcase, arrive into the living room. He glanced at the clock. It was around eight-thirty. For the last couple of weeks, his father had been coming from the office later than usual. Placing the pencil and book onto the table, Seto headed towards the kitchen as Seiji gave the seven-year-old a tired smile before heading to his room.

When Seiji returned downstairs and entered the kitchen, changed into a plain white t-shirt and a pair of jungle green sweat pants, he noticed the seven-year-old standing on a step stool by the stove. Water boiled in the saucepan. Seto quickly poured the water into a kettle, adding a teabag.

"Seto, I was planning to drink some regular tea. You didn't need—"

"Daddy, chamomile tea is supposed to relax," Seto interrupted, his eyes concentrated on the kettle. "You've got bags around your eyes. That means that you're not sleeping enough. Plus, you've even gone as far as to color-coordinate the dishes yesterday. You only do such unnecessary organization when you're extremely stressed."

Seiji glanced at his elder cousin as she gave him a sour look while she held onto the Mokuba. Hiroko despised the idea of people interfering with her orderliness, feeling that there was no need to improve upon her perfect domestic organization.

"I suppose, but maybe, we should…" Seiji's voice trailed, debating whether to pursue the subject further.

"Well, anyway, Seiji, since you came so late today, I've fed Seto oden." The blue-eyed boy scrunched his nose at the mention of dinner, while Seiji smiled and scooped Mokuba into his arms. "Mokuba's been fed, but he'll probably get hungry again. Anyway, on Saturday, our lady's society is having a program on culture—"

"Um, you see, I might be busy. You know, plans. To do other stuff..." Seiji answered, twirling Mokuba's fingers in a distracting manner.

"You know, Seto needs to have proper exposure to his Japanese heritage. As a father, it is your responsibility—"

"Aunt Hiroko, Daddy's taking us to the Domino City Gardens, so I don't think we'll be able to attend."

"I see." She inspected Seto for a few moments as he poured tea into a cup and added honey. "Well, I suppose exposure to our rich gardens is not a half bad idea. It's certainly one of your more _intelligent _choices." She nodded curtly towards her younger cousin, sliding the door and shutting it. Seiji listened in silence until he no longer heard the loud gabs of his niece.

Seto placed the cup towards him as he picked it up for sip. The drink was brewed perfectly, tasting sweet without overpowering its natural flavor. He took another swig. Warmth seemed to spread through his body. After placing Mokuba in a baby chair, Seiji seated himself onto one of the wooden chairs of the square table.

"The tea's excellent." Seiji commented, after taking another sip.

"Well, it's not like there's anything else to do. Aunt Hiroko's been showing me a few things, so it helps pass the time."

"Let's keep this between us, but your tea beats your Aunt Hiroko's." A small smile brushed against Seto's lips at Seiji's wink. It seemed that tea's effects were calming the man.

Seiji took a final swig from the cup and placed it onto the saucer. Seto gathered the dishes from the table and headed towards the sink where he turned on the tap.

"Hey, if you break the cup, I'm taking it out of your allowance."

"Daddy, I don't have an allowance."

"Why should you? I'm not paying you to be my son. That's some silly American notion."

Seto rolled his eyes at his father's playful grin while he scrubbed the cup with a sponge. After following with the saucer, he rinsed the cup and saucer through water for a few minutes before turning off the tap and placing the dishes into a drying rack next to the steel sink. Quickly he wiped his hand with a hand cloth on the brown countertop. "It's not I'd do something stupid like that moron, Jun. Do you know that she thinks that the hardware of a computer is the surface that protects it from dirt?"

"Come here." Seto walked towards his father and got an unexpected surprise. He yelped backwards as he touched his forehead delicately. "I don't raise arrogant jerks that look down on others, no matter what how unskilled they are."

"You didn't have to flick me!" He rubbed his forehead, massaging it with his fingers. It had been a light flick, but he hardly appreciated the gesture.

"My dear son, a father's love comes in mysterious forms."

"That sounds like something Mommy would say."

Neither of them said nothing as they looked at each other. The silence awkwardly intruded them.

"I miss her too." Seiji said, after a few moments.

"She was perfect." Seto declared.

Seiji shook his head. "There's one thing you will learn, and it's this. Perfection doesn't exist." The brunette stared confusedly at his father, demanding some sort of explanation. If his mother wasn't perfect, then nobody came close in his opinion.

Seiji sighed. Although Seto may have been much brighter than the average child, he was still exceedingly naive about people. "Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. She's a wonderful person, but it's unrealistic to say that she had no flaws. She exaggerated about everything, got too competitive for her own good, and was too emotional. If she got excited about something, that's all I would hear about for hours. She could go on and on. Sometimes, she'd be so impulsive, do something ridiculous just because she felt like it, and regret it the next day. I remember in our freshman year she drank..." He quieted for a moment, deciding that the seven-year-old had no need to hear about Laura's infamous college days. "So many boys painted her as this perfect package. Even though she was friendly and easy to be around, your mother intimidated them because she was so beautiful. I remember how much they tried to impress Laura. They thought by agreeing with her or bragging about themselves would catch her attention. " Seto quizzically raised an eyebrow at Seiji's tangent, leaving Seiji to give a small smile. Whenever Laura felt like he rambled, her blue eyes flashed with the same expression that Seto held now. "My point is that your mother wasn't perfect. Just because she was beautiful, intelligent, and social, it didn't mean that she made no mistakes, had no weaknesses, or had no other sides to her." She was just a flawed human who wanted to be loved, the Japanese man added quietly to himself. Laura had the talent to bring joy and humor for herself and those who surrounded her; her girlish laughter and her dramatics could light a room full of strangers.

"Still, life's not the same without her." Seto wasn't fully convinced by his father's words.

"It's not," Seiji admitted. "But we can move on. We have to. That doesn't mean that we can't cry when we have too." Seto turned his head to face the sink, trying to hide the moisture in his eyes that threatened to fall. Seiji stood up from the chair and bent to hug Seto, leaving the boy to wrap his arm around the thin man's waist. His sons were his strength and purpose for living, the only things that kept Seiji from falling apart and losing control.

Still, there were several sleepless nights when, no matter how tired he grew, the mere fact that Laura would never be by his side haunted him.

...

Seiji glanced at his watch as he waited at a square table covered in red cloth. It had been over two hours since he had been waiting on the CFO to arrive. When he had checked with the secretar in an earlier call, the woman seemed to insist that she had scheduled him in.

He picked up the brochures and packets, skimming through the pages as he waited. The man seemed so enthusiastic about the amusement park when Seiji spoke to him before.

"Excuse me." Seiji looked up to notice a waiter who appeared to be no older than twenty before him. "Mr. Yamamoto's secretary has called to cancel his meeting."

"Did she just call?"

"Yes. Just now."

"Is there any explanation?"

"She says that her boss is backed in unexpected entanglement, though she insists that you do not need to reschedule. That is all. Would you like to order anything?" Seiji shook his head, while the waiter quickly bowed before leaving.

Seiji glanced at the empty plate and unused silverware before him. Beyond a glass of water, he had nothing. A complete bust.

He rose from his table, his shoulders tensing on the fact that none of his meetings had any success within the last month. Walking past several tables of the five-star restaurant, he noticed a beech wood bar with several wealthy looking men and women, dressed in expensive suits and designer dresses. Looking away from the bar, Seiji examined the exit that was many yards away. He could see the gold-framed door that lead to the exit.

"Nakamura!" The tall man turned towards the source of the familiar voice. To his surprise, he saw Roland with a drink in one hand and waving to him with the other. "Over here!"

"Isono, I'm surprised. Since the restructuring, I didn't think you'd be out of the office."

"It's like you said, Nakamura. I'm twenty-six years old and still need a life. Hey, it's Friday! Thank Gozaburo it's Friday! Right?" He patted an empty bar stool next to him, motioning for his friend to sit. Roland's breath reeked heavily of alcohol, and he seemed more relaxed than usual.

"No thanks. I've got to go home. Plus, I haven't had anything to eat since afternoon."

"Nakamura," Roland insisted, "it's about time that you lived once in a while. Besides, one drink won't hurt you."

Seiji paused for a moment, contemplating the offer. It had certainly been a long time, since his wife's death, that he had any sort of social interaction with adults aside from work. Still, his children were home and would be going to bed soon.

"Come on Nakamura, I want you to meet my friend." The dark-haired man motioned to a statuesque brunette in a red V-necked dress on his left. "Her name is Sophie-Adeline Depaul. She's French." Roland added, pronouncing the words in a false French accent. The beautiful woman beside him waved a quick hello.

It took all of Seiji to stop himself from gasping at the sight of young woman. Sophie was a near split image of Laura, a younger version; she held the same alabaster complexion, and her hair was the same shade of brown. The French woman's hair was parted at her left side, a few inches longer than his wife's. Perhaps, Seiji could stay for a little conversation. After he seated himself onto a wood stool, he leaned against the counter of the bar table, pressing his arms uncomfortably on it. "So…the deal went well?"

"And we still manage to talk about work. Tonight, we forget KaibaCorp. Order. On me." Seiji sighed, turning away from the smiling woman. He supposed that one drink wouldn't hurt. Hell, if anyone needed a drink, he did.

"A rum and coke."

"I'll have another Long Island Iced Tea." A red-haired bartender nodded at Roland's request, grabbing a bottle of rum from nearby cabinet. "Sophie, this is Nakamura Seiji. He works with me."

"It eez a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Nakamura." Her full lips parted into a pleasant smile, showing her perfect white teeth. Just like Laura's. Seiji nodded lamely, thinking of no witty banter. Roland took Seiji's silence as a opportunity to whisper something into the beautiful woman's ear, earning a small giggle.

"So Seiji, are you married? You mentioned that you had kids." Roland asked, turning away from the woman as she wrapped her arm around his neck. Seiji vaguely wondered if he should politely 'call it a night' and leave Roland to his 'friend.'

"Well, I was. My wife passed away."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Seiji gave no response, staring awkwardly at the bartender as the man shake a mixer, and watched him pour the concoction into a tall glass. After what seemed like an outstretched period of time, the bartender passed his drink.

"So, how does having a social life feel?" Seiji finally added, after Roland took his own mixed drink.

"It feels very, very good," the jovial man responded. Evidently, none of Seiji's quietness seemed to faze him, but, then again, it might have been the alcohol. "Time for a toast. Let me see. Hmm. How about this? To the night of freedom and lack of responsibility. Cheers!" After the trio bumped their glasses, Seiji took a sip from his drink.

From what he gathered from the conversation, the French woman that Roland introduced was a model with a upcoming photo shoot under a major fashion line. They had met a few weeks ago, according to the French woman, at a restaurant that was similar to this. Her figure was rail thin, Seiji noted as he took another sip. In fact, she was skinnier than himself. The twenty-something-year-old held none of Laura's athletic, toned body.

Her forehead was too high, her face was too round, and her blue-green eyes appeared more catlike than anything else. The French model's personality may vivacious and lively, holding herself with a confidence. Yet Seiji couldn't help but feel that her laugh was too high-pitched when she laughed at Roland's jokes, and her stories needed more dramatic hand waving when she told them.

He was already on his third drink when he realized that he, for the most of the evening, had been comparing some woman that he had just met to his dead wife. Pathetic. He suddenly slid from the stool, steadying himself slightly as he gripped onto it for balance.

"Mr. Nakamura, are you okay?" The Laura-look-alike quickly grabbed the golden-toned man by his arm. "Maybe we should take you to a hotel or something."

Seiji pulled his arm away from her grip. "I'm fine. I, I need to go." He walked with a bit more steadiness, though he couldn't feel help but that the room seemed to spin a bit.

"Nakamura, Maybe she's right. You—"

The older man placed an index finger by his lips. "Shh. I'm good. I'm. An. Adult. You know, Isono," Seiji quickly wrapped an arm around his mustached friend and held a grave expression. "I, a thirty-one-year old, have some important, sage advice to a young man like you. This is the wisdom that I pass down to you. So listen, okay? Seriously. Your life's going to be a million times better if you follow this, oh-kay?" Seiji didn't noticed the Roland's twitching smile as he nodded. "You have to enjoy life. Have fun. It's com-ple-tully, ut-ter-ly unexpected. Why? You never, ever know when you get screwed. That's all for now." He didn't hear the footsteps of the man follow him as he pulled the door knob of the gold-glinted door, with some initial difficulty, and succeeded in opening it.

Quickly, he pulled himself onto the concrete sidewalk, bumping into another passerby. Nearby, a woman in a baby blue sundress was vomiting into a bin, but currently, Seiji absorbed his mind into formulating a brilliant plan on how to reach the train station and sneak into his home. He would take the train and, from there, take a cab to his house. Once he arrived at his home, he could use the back entrance. He stopped walking for moment and paused, panting heavily as his hands gripped on a nearby lamppost. Seto might be awake when he came and see his drunken stupor. The thought ashamed him. Even in his uninhibited state, he wanted nothing less than hide how pathetic he was from his son. The boy needed someone stable, not a drunk man that could barely walk.

It took a few moments to register the loud bangs. At first, he looked up, wondering if there was some movie shoot. He pulled himself towards the source of the noise, barely noticing the white van that drove away. In the dark alley of the ground, Seiji saw a man lying on the ground, hunched against a brick wall. A gray-haired man with a tweed jacket, brown vest, and dark slacks stared away from him, clutching his chest with both hands.

"What's your name?" Seiji slurred.

The elderly man gave no answer, gasping harder than before. Seiji knelt down onto the pavement, noticing a trickle of blood flowing from under the man's wrinkled hands. He moved the man's hands, noticing blood splattered over a deep wound. "What's your name?" Seiji repeated, with even more firmness.

"Murderer." The man grabbed Seiji's overcoat, strongly tugging it towards him and crying weakly. "Gozaburo. Murderer." The man coughed, heaving further. He loosened his grip from Seiji and concentrated on breathing.

Seiji barely noticed the blood that fell onto his own shirt or the footsteps of his friend and the French woman. When the sirens of the ambulance and police arrived and a cop interrogated him, he mentioned that he heard a car drive by, had seen nothing else, knew nothing about victim, and gave several unclear, drunken answers to the man's several probing questions. The uniformed man seemed to find the process to be annoying and useless and left Seiji to be.

There was no mention of the tweed jacket man's words, the desperate look that he expressed, or the name that he uttered. Something in Seiji stopped him from proclaiming these facts to the police, whether it was fear or common sense he could not tell. He left himself to unpleasant thoughts of the tweed jacket man's fate and, the last person that he wanted to mull over on a Friday evening, Gozaburo Kaiba.

* * *

One of you mentioned that you didn't see Gozaburo as a womanizer, and I completely agree. I don't see him as some womanizing man that chases or goes after many. I just see as someone, who enjoys seeing others squirm and having complete control, which would extend to women as well, if he happened to be interested.

* * *

To **MythCreatorWriter**, I always adore your reviews. I think I've told you this before, but oh well. I personally believe that Seto could solve a Rubik's cube because he has a lot of patience to solve things, like that Egyptian puzzle from Battle City. I feel like a dork for remembering that. It took a while to get used to writing kid Seto, but I think it helped to evolve him from being a baby to a kid. By the time I was writing him as a child, I was already used to it.

To **evil sasuke girl**, I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Hope I updated fast enough.

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, in many ways, I enjoy writing the later chapters because there isn't a huge jump in a time, though this chapter jumps a bit. I figured Seto's pretty anti-social, so it wouldn't be a huge jump if he didn't have any real friends as a kid. I always like your reviews and how much thought you put into them.

To **ml101**, I'm glad you like Roland. I wanted to show a different side from other than the nervous assistant, something that Seto probably wouldn't see, since he's his boss. As for Isono, it's his Japanese man, so that's where I got it from.

To **Ninja Master Kenny**, Seiji compartmentalizes a lot of his issues, so I think that's why he's able to deal with his stress. Writing Gozaburo, even though he's absolutely terrible human being is interesting for me, so I'm glad you enjoyed that scene with Laura and him.

To **Demented Insane Spirit,** I didn't think of any character in particular when I named Seiji, though I do adore Whispers of the Heart. I saw that movie after I created Seiji. If any character inspired Seiji, it would be Koyuki from Beck, though, to be honest, Seiji doesn't have much in common with him.

To **Noc and NC**, you might be right about a certain name that was mentioned in the previous chapter, but how pivotal the role is still rocky. I've got way too many ideas for this story about certain parts, which can be as dangerous as writer's block in some ways. I always love your reviews and hope you can update Catch and Fall when you can.

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, I'm glad that you liked the chapter.

To **Zoelle**, I'm happy that you liked Roland. He doesn't get much attention, so I felt he need some screen time.

To **HaK(hateandkill_d),** I hope everything works out. I never expected that anyone would like this story much because it probably breaks some unspoken OC rule. As for Roland, I wanted to add a canon character because I wanted to use a canon character that would be present in Seto's life in some way without being related to the Yugi and gang.

To **Unnamed Person**, I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and hope that my story can continue to entertain you.

To **Atem's Sister Atea**, I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I hope I updated soon enough. Hope you continue to enjoy.


	15. The Best of Friends

**Chapter 15 – The Best of Friends **

7/29/09

**Disclaimer:** I-hay on't-day own-hay u-gi-oh-yay. (Clue: It's in Pig Latin)

* * *

His eyelids fluttered, opening after a few moments. The vague semblance of a room, painted in yellow, appeared, and the shapes of the room started to form. A beautiful mahogany chest and mirror leaned against an opposite wall. At the left of his bed, there was a matching table near a window adorned with striped yellow curtains. Seiji rose from the bed and stared at the pillow. It was not his pillow, and this place was certainly not his room.

Seiji's eyes wandered to his clothes. No longer wearing his black pantsuit, he instead found himself in a white 'I love Domino City' t-shirt and a pair of light blue jeans that were two sizes too big.

Rubbing the temple of his forehead, he pulled off a white comforter and rose from the queen-sized bed. The aftereffects of last night's episode were vicious, leaving a splitting headache.

The drinking session with Roland and that French woman. The gunshots. The tweed jacket man.

At the sound of a nearby flush, Seiji's breath quickened. He was in a strange hotel room by himself. Yesterday's attacker was now after him. He was going to die in the most pathetic of ways. He grabbed the nearest object that he could reach from the ground, gripping it tightly.

The door opened. He was about to swing when a man held his hands in the air. "Nakamura, please don't attack me with that hanger."

Glancing at his outstretched hand, Seiji noted that it was indeed a wire hanger, an extremely pliable one too. He lowered his arm, looking rather sheepish. "I guess I'm lucky that it's you, Isono."

"I think so." Roland put down his hands and smiled. "It's good that you're smart. You'd make a lousy bodyguard."

Seiji gave Roland a sour look and dropped the hanger on the carpeted floor. "Where are my clothes?"

"The police took it as evidence. I got you some clothes from the hotel's gift shop. Sorry, I couldn't get anything better."

"It's nothing. And Sophie?" Seiji asked, settling at the foot of the bed.

Roland sighed while he sat onto a nearby wooden chair. "She left. We were both pretty shaken up after last night." He chuckled darkly, wearing a tired expression. "She saw the whole incident as bad luck for a start of a relationship. Then again, my work schedule would have probably scared her at some point."

"I'm sorry." Guilt fell upon Seiji; his eyes lowered onto the floor. If he hadn't been so irresponsible and refused to drink to begin with, they wouldn't have been in this mess. It was everything—the daily stresses, the recent failure with his amusement park, and seeing the woman that resembled Laura—that led him to drink so heavily. Even in college, he had more self-control, always avoiding uncompromising situations if he could.

"Come on. We couldn't have predicted that to happen. You're too hard on yourself." Seiji didn't reply, causing Roland to worry about his older friend. Seiji was usually the calm one, rarely showing anxiety about work or daily stresses. He had never seen his friend so worked up about anything. "Oh, by the way, I got you some water and headache medicine. Hangovers are never fun."

Seiji muttered a thanks distractedly as he caught the bottles of water and pills that Roland had thrown at him.

"The police already interrogated us, but they want to talk to you again," Roland continued, pushing his glasses against the bridge of his nose. "The usual. I assured them that you're a good person, so you've got nothing to worry about. I've got to pick up a client soon, but you don't need to worry about anything. The room's already been paid for."

Seiji said nothing as he downed the water. His thoughts flew to the elderly man, the blood that poured from his chest, and his scared but determined expression. _Gozaburo. Murderer. Gozaburo_. Those were the tweed jacket man's last words. "Do they know who he is?"

"You mean that guy you found? A journalist. He died on the way to the hospital."

...

A portly police officer at a desk scanned Seiji's signature on a document. Seiji picked up his suitcase, holding it tightly, choosing not to sit on the chair that the police designated for him. The interrogation, despite Roland's insistence, was not as calm and easy as he claimed. Earlier, in a secluded room, a frowning woman with a tight bun and equally unfriendly man circled Seiji, throwing several questions at him. Why was he at the crime scene? Why had he been so conveniently drunk and unable to answer? What was his relationship to the man'? The female cop, in particular, seemed to have a strong dislike of Seiji, probing into his family life. She sneered when he replied that he was a responsible father, retorting that no proper dad left his poor innocent boys in the care of their dear and loving aunt to drink. He was pathetic to her, the scum of the earth.

It was no wonder that the Domino City police were inefficient, Seiji thought, as the police stamped the paper and told him that he was free to leave. They were so desperate to point fingers and close the case that they didn't even interrogate their only witness properly.

He needed to head home to his children. He would need some sort of explanation, no doubt, particularly because of his change of clothes. Seto was much too observant of a child, and his cousin Hiroko was persistent in nosing into others' business. As for this case and the tweed jacket man, Seiji needed to leave the investigation to the authorities, though it might have helped if Seiji informed them of the man's last words. Gozaburo was a common enough name. It didn't necessarily mean KaibaCorp's CEO. It might have been another Gozaburo. Gozaburo Kobayashi. Gozaburo Inoue. Perfectly reasonable.

Then again, from what the police stated, tweed jacket man's name was Isamu Takahashi, a freelance journalist. Seiji had read an article by him in the Domino Gazette. He heavily criticized KaibaCorp's corporate practices, even claiming that its CEO should be arrested. This caused quite a backlash among many prominent journalists.

Seiji failed to notice a slim woman with a heavy folder and bumped into her. A file of papers fell down; she bent down to gather them as Seiji knelt onto the floor to help.

"I'm so sorry. I should have been paying attention." He picked up a few document and handed them to her.

"It's no problem," the woman answered nervously, her auburn bob bouncing slightly as her hands reached for another paper.

"Still, I should have paid attention." Seiji replied, handing the last paper to her. When the woman looked up to face him, Seiji suddenly wished that he had been rude and left her to deal with her own mess.

"Mr. Nakamura?" Seiji stifled a groan. The police station was hardly the best place to meet colleagues, particularly ones that worked under him. "This is unexpected."

"I suppose it's the same for you as well, Mrs. Jonouchi." The project manager flushed as she shoved the papers quickly into the folder. "Speeding tickets?"

Mrs. Jonouchi gave a shaky laugh. "Of course, speeding tickets. They're such annoying fines. What a coincidence that we both have speeding tickets."

It didn't escape his notice that her eyes appeared red and puffy or her blue shirt had a small hole at the end. Whenever he saw her at work, she was impeccably dressed in a dress suit or nice skirt, and her make-up was neatly done. Seiji didn't press further; he wanted no more questions from her than she did. He needed to get out of this conversation as quickly as possible.

"Well, it was good—"

"Mr. Nakamura, I know that it's rather late to tell you this, but I want to thank you for giving me those days off from work. My daughter and I are extremely grateful." The sudden bout of friendliness confused Seiji. Mrs. Jonuchi's half-smile replaced the previous anxious look.

"It's nothing, Mrs. Jonouchi. I was just doing my job. I hope she's doing well. You know, I must—"

"Mrs. Nakamura," she started, pressing the folder to her chest, "I have to thank you properly. To be honest, my daughter Shizuka wanted to draw a little something for you, but her eyesight..." Her voice trailed.

"Oh, that's sweet but there's no need," Seiji insisted.

"I should buy you a cup of coffee at the very least."

"It's okay. You really don't have to."

...

Seiji should have just been direct and said no. It didn't help that she appeared so happy when he complied. Hopefully, Seto would be better at refusing than he was. He slid into wooden chair and sat at a cafe table, his hands clasped around a cup of freshly brewed tea. At the very least, the tea was warm and sweet, the perfect pick-me-up after a drunken night.

This was hardly appropriate. The red-head across the small table was married and certainly not his friend.

"I guess you're not a coffee person." Her hands gripped around a cup of coffee. A popular jazz song played on the speakers.

"I like both." Seiji answered a bit stiffly, taking a sip and noting the cafe that she had chosen. It was a quaint shop, the type of store that sold actual cappuccinos instead of the heavily marketed stuff that most places sold. A few empty tables littered the store. For a Saturday spring afternoon, very few people hung around. There could have been no more than six people, including the work staff.

"Mr. Nakamura, do you have your own children?"

He set the cup on the circular table. "Yes. Two sons. Seven and ten months." He paused, unsure of what to say. "What about you?" Children were always a safe topic.

"Seven and five." She opened a small black purse and pulled a maroon wallet, flipping a picture of two children to him. An energetic-looking, blond boy hugged a smaller red-haired girl and grinned widely. The girl, who supposed must have been this Shizuka who his mother spoke of, smiled shyly, wrapping her hands around her brother's waist.

"They're very cute," Seiji said, his expression softening. "They look so close."

Mrs. Jonouchi nodded and shut the wallet, returning it to her purse. "They're inseparable. Katsuya's so protective of his little sister, and she worships him. She calls her brother her hero."

Seiji took another sip. It was hard to not be a bit jealous. Seto barely paid attention to Mokuba, though he was arguably less obstinate in his silent treatment to him than he used to be. Recently, his son even warmed his brother's milk in the microwave without any complaint when Seiji asked.

"Sometimes, I think they're too close." Her voice trailed; her hazel eyes looking wistful for a moment. Seiji couldn't see how a good relationship between siblings could be a bad thing. He never had a brother or sister, and the closest thing to such a relationship was Hiroko, hardly anything to be proud of.

"Um...how's your daughter's treatment?" Seiji asked, desperate to break the silence. The woman seemed so distracted.

"Well, she's got bad eyesight. My poor girl gets ill so easily. Katsuya's such a healthy boy, but Shizuka..." Mrs. Jonouchi's fingers entwined as her eyes lowered onto the table. A pang of guilt came upon Seiji for wanting to dismiss the woman so quickly. She was lonely, and if the rumors at the office about her husband were true, had a bad marriage. The pain on dealing with a sick child, the constant struggle… Who was he to judge?

"Domino City Hospital's got some of the best doctors. Everything will work out somehow." Seiji then added, "My son is your son's age. Maybe they could arrange a play date for them. I'm sure that they'll get along." There. That seemed like the appropriate thing to say.

"Who knows? They might become the best of friends."Mrs. Jonouchi laughed and shook her head. "It's okay, Mr. Nakamura. There's no need. I'm very grateful, but you've done enough. I'm lucky to have a job with the amount of days that I took leave. I don't know how to thank you." She tucked a strand of wavy hair behind her ear. "I'm so sorry that I asked you like this. A family friend of mine just died, and I was at loss. I couldn't stand to be alone."

"My condolences. What was his name?"

"Takahashi. Takahashi Isamu." Seiji's eyes widened. His throat grew dry as his fist tightened. This could not be happening. He did not deserve this. "A neighbor of mine. He always used to give me advice about stuff, even if I didn't want it. He always encouraged me, helped with my kids... Even told me to find another job once. I laughed and told him I would if he found me one."

"Wait, do you mean the journalist, Takahashi Isamu? He's wrote a well-known article before," Seiji said, trying to calm the racing thoughts that flew through his mind.

"Yes. He used to be the editor-in-chief of the Domino Gazette many years ago, but he stopped working there five years ago."

"Was he...fired?"

"He never explained it, but it was always a sensitive topic." Mrs. Jonouchi eyed him curiously. "Why?"

"I have a favor to ask." His tone of voice kept calm, though he felt far from it.

...

Several newspapers were strewn across a tatami-matted floor and a small white table. Seiji picked up a newspaper as he sat on green vinyl couch, peeling in several places. It was a recent edition, a few weeks old. He flipped through it to note a neatly cut hole on the third page.

"Mr. Takahashi's always so messy when he works," Mrs. Jonouchi said, following Seiji's eyes. "He gets all over the place when he's 'in the zone,'" she mimicked, putting her fingers up as if in quotes.

"He dressed so properly when I last saw him," Seiji stated, folding the newspaper and placed it back on the table.

She shrugged. "It always amazed me. Like he was leading a double life or something."

Seiji stood up, his eyes taking in the living room of the apartment. It was a one-bedroom apartment, a small homely place that seemed like the last place a prestigious journalist would stay. Even its ceiling was somewhat low, as if to conserve space. His hands could easily reach the ceiling without any effort.

"It's amazing how we're connected, isn't it?" Mrs. Jonouchi smiled, her eyes followed as he gazed at the cheap TV stand. "I can't believe that Mr. Takahashi was your father's friend."

"Yes," Seiji mumbled, suddenly finding the dust on the TV set to be interesting. "He visited us a few times. My father died a long time ago, so…"

His co-worker nodded understandingly. "It's normal to lose touch, but I'm sure he appreciates that you came." Seiji didn't reply and stared into the wall. He was never comfortable with lying, but it surprised him that she actually believed his tale that Takahashi was his father's long-lost friend.

"Mommy! Mommy!" The loud footsteps followed the cry. Seiji turned to see a blond-haired boy, the same one from the picture that he was shown, approach the woman. He appeared to be around his own son's age.

"Katsuya!" Mrs. Jonouchi cried, kneeling on one knee to face her son. Dirt covered his shirt and shorts, leaving it caked with mud. The boy gave a guilty grin, his eyes twinkling despite his mother's shocked expression. "What have you been doing?"

"Mommy, I was jus' playin' truth and dare, and I picked dare. One of the guys told me to put mud on the crazy lady's mat, and I had ta. I ain't a wuss!" His golden brown eyes appeared serious. "Plus, Shizuka's helped too. You shoulda seen her!"

Her son didn't seem concerned about the dirt trail that entered into the room or the mud that was caked on his face. Instead, he decided to animatedly tell of the crazy woman's scream and how she was currently threatening charges, which was why his mother needed to help him be clean. A small smile played upon Seiji's lips.

"Mommy, who's da skinny guy?" The child pointed to Seiji, eyeing him curiously. His tone of voice was bold, holding a certain swagger to it.

"It's just my boss. He knew the nice man who lived here, so I was just showing him around." Her hands took the child's hands gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but I need to clean him up. I'm sure that you know how boys are."

Seiji replied that it was all right and turned to face a stack of desk as they left the apartment. Aside from playing in the sandbox, Seto never found the mud to be a particularly interesting beyond the age of two. His son prided in keeping neat and found no amusement in getting dirty if he didn't have to.

Maybe, when Mokuba was older, he'd face the unfortunate joy of finding his son in such a pickle.

Seiji walked about into a cramped kitchen. Similar to the other rooms, the off-white paint of walls peeled, and the floor was yellow, though Seiji deemed that was not his original color. He opened a white cupboard. The knob fell down. He closed it and tried to screw back the knob, failing miserably.

Whoever the landlord was, he would be far from thrilled.

The bathroom and the bedroom proved to show little else, except the neatly dressed man was a slob with worse taste in furniture than Seto claimed Seiji had. What did he expect to find? What could a dead man tell him? He should have never sat for coffee, never asked for the favor, never lied… It was pointless. He was no Sherlock Holmes, just an ordinary man with some intelligence.

Re-entering the living room, Seiji noted the small display behind the television. Three floating shelves were arranged vertically on a wall. Seiji glanced at the objects on it. On each shelf, a different picture was placed, each appearing to be of the man at different stages of his life. The picture on the lowest shelf was a recent picture of Takahashi. The elderly man's hands clapped around the shoulders of a young raven-haired boy with green eyes. The child hugged a huge dice plushie.

He picked the baby blue picture frame, which was engraved with cursive writing that said 'Grandpa and I.' The background appeared to be at a carnival of sorts. Turning to the shelves, he pressed his hands against the wood. Unlike the rest of the furniture and the decorations in the house, the shelves were ornately patterned, beautifully covered with curving leaves, even upon its bracket. It was incredibly heavy, Seiji thought, much too heavy for a shelf.

Inspecting it carefully, he noted a small lining on the lower part of the shelf. A gasp escaped him, and he tugged at it. From years of experience with civil engineering, he worked with different types of structure to realize what this was no ordinary shelf.

A hidden drawer opened, revealing a plain brown portfolio inside. Picking up the folder, he gingerly touched it. There were no words written on it, but excitement and unease stirred in him, leaving him at unease. Seiji closed the shelf and was about to open the page when he heard footsteps.

Seiji tossed the portfolio into his leather briefcase and closed the latch. Placing back the picture on the shelf, Seiji put the picture back on the shelf, his back facing away from the woman.

"I'm so sorry about earlier." Mrs. Jonouchi replied earnestly.

Seiji turned around and shook his head. "It's alright. I was just admiring these pictures." He steadied his voice, hoping it didn't waver.

"I hope it helped." Mrs. Jonouchi said sympathetically. Her hands were cleaned, and she was changed into a clean red t-shirt. "Seeing his place, I mean."

"It helped."

That night, after his tucking his children for bed, Seiji switched on the lamp in his bedroom, flipped open his suitcase, and placed the portfolio onto his mahogany desk. After he took a deep breath, he flipped it open to its first page. He wished he never looked.

* * *

To Unnamed person, I put your review response for the last chapter at the end with the other responses. For some reason, it didn't copy, so sorry if you didn't get a chance to read it. If any of the reviewers don't get a review response, please let me know. Sometimes, I get problems with uploading.

I finally got a new laptop, so I'm excited. My old laptop died, and the house PC got hit by virus, so I was computer-less for a long time.

Are any of you guys a fan of the show Lost? It's my probably my favorite on TV. Today, I saw the actor for Benjamin Linus. I was in the car with my brother and we were just talking about how we never saw anyone famous up close (doing something normal, not performing), and then he walked in crosswalk, right in front of our car with some blond woman. Talk about insane timing. Plus, my brother's a huge fan, and he was planning on showing me a few episodes that day. Unfortunately, we couldn't stop to ask for an autograph, but, then again we would have held up traffic if we did. (And probably be thought as crazy for chasing him…)

* * *

To **Atem's Sister Atea**, I had fun writing Nesbitt, though he is such a boring person. I'm glad you liked my chap. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

To **Zoelle**, I'm glad you enjoyed Seto and Mokuba's relationship grow. It was a favorite scene to, and I felt it was about time they got a bit close. I also think a little conflict makes the relationship better, and want Seto to mature so he can handle what he comes for him in the future.

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, I'm glad that it was unpredictable. I can never tell when I release it because it seems so obvious to me. I can't say too much about Seto, but Seiji, as you guessed would not tell his son about his involvement with KaibaCorp. He would consider it to be irrelevant, since it's not something that either of think deeply. I'm glad that you enjoy Mokuba and Seto's interaction; I'm hoping that it's believable. (I plan to end the story with a bang.)

To **Noc and NC**, Sorry, I had to mislead about Katsuya, but I honestly wasn't sure if he'd make a real appearance in the story. It was between him and another character, and he won that round. I'm glad you enjoyed the silent pressure scene. It was probably the most challenging scene for me to write in that chapter. As for Jun, I'm thrilled that you like her. I agree with you that she does say pretty stupid things. She's too blunt for her own good. As for Seiji's response, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Seiji's not the type to play hero unless he has to or feels really obligated.

To **evil sasuke girl**, sorry but tweed jacket man is very much dead. I think I've killed four characters so far. Your review made me smile.

To **MythCreatorWriter**, I think you gave me the longest review ever. And I loved it. And because you mentioned this in your review…

Seto (all grownup and arrogant as ever, wearing a blue trenchcoat): (Eats chips while typing on laptop)

Seiji: (randomly in office and smacks his head)

Random Voice: You could have had a V8. (an annoyed Seto gives death glares to Seiji)

I couldn't resist. I'm glad you enjoyed my chapters so far. I hope my description is more sprinkled in this chapter. It's pretty reliant on description. I think that Seto Kaiba, despite Gozaburo's influence would be someone that Seiji would be proud of. He'd just feel guilty that he couldn't protect him by living and leave his son to fend on his own. I always imagined Seto's nurturing behind his egotistical heart, just selective on who he shows it to.

To** The Duelist's Heiress**, I had fun writing Seiji/Seto interaction, so I'm glad you liked it.

To **Meconopsis**, I figured that this story, as much as it's about the Kaiba's past, should include characters from Kaiba's past. If anyone should meet the people from Seto's future, it's his parents. Jun's probably one of my favorite characters to write. The more obnoxious she gets, the more fun I have. I didn't get the finger flick idea from Naruto, though my brother likes the show and showed me that scene after your review.

To **ohlalala**, your review made me blush from the many compliments. I don't know about brilliant, but I'm glad that you like the story. Keep enjoying.

To **Demented Insane Spirit**, the first scene probably took the most time to write. I figured that Gozaburo should be so bad that his presence should be scary enough. As for Jun, I'm so happy that you liked her. I hate working with perfect characters that lack flaws; they are much too boring to write. I never know when my humor is a hit or miss. I keep thinking of doing a few things between her and Seto, but I wonder if I'll cross some unspoken fanfiction line somewhere (searches for it…) As for Seiji, I wanted him to finally accept Laura's death, which he hadn't really faced. Seto does gain something from his parents, even with Gozaburo's influence.

To **Wolfstar713**, I would make my characters more miserable than they already are. As if Seiji didn't have enough problems already.


	16. Totoro is Not My Neighbor

**Chapter 16 – Totoro Is Not My Neighbor**

8/8/09

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-gi-oh. If I did, I'd buy that Burberry coat that I have my eyes on. I've borrowed one of Yu-gi-oh the Abridged series' quotes. You'll know when you see it.

* * *

On the last day of classes at the blacktop of a school, parents collected uniform-clad children, asking them of their summer homework and pestering them about test scores that they desired to be improved. Seto sat on the front steps, waiting quietly and talking to no one. While his classmates talked amongst themselves about their favorite cartoons and movies, Seto could offer no conversation. Then again, he found most animated shows, particularly a recent popular one on some giant monster called Totoro or something like that, to be overrated. Pressing his arms against the gray shorts of his uniform, the boy held a certain calm composure, unlike most children of his age, and did not fidget.

"Eh-cuh-cuse me." A small dark-haired girl in gray skirt approached Seto. She wore a similar white cap and round-collared shirt as him.

"You are?" Seto asked. Most children only approached him when they wanted help for something.

"M-miyake Aime. I'm in y-your class." Seto glanced at the girl, who began to twiddle her thumbs. This was that shy classmate in the back of his class, the one that never spoke in front of anyone and fainted in front of the entire class when she had to do a presentation.

"Do you want something?"

"Um..." Turning to her light blue backpack, the girl unzipped it to retrieve a stylish box and took off its cover. "M-my uncle gave me some chocolate for my birthday, and I was just hoping, I mean, wondering if, well..." Her eyes fell at her feet, fiercely gazing at it, and she held out the box of candy before exclaiming, "Would you like one?"

His eyes blinked as he surveyed the eager girl. "I don't really like chocolate."

"Oh." The dark-haired girl hugged the box, averting her eyes to floor as they flickered nervously. She stuttered a quick apology and turned to run, leaving Seto in confusion.

Females. Aside from the exception that included his mother, they were strange gender. He couldn't understand what that Miyake girl was getting so upset about.

Speaking of strange members of the opposite sex, he noted Jun, in all her adolescent glory, as she yelled at a fourth grader nearby. She was causing such as scene, Seto noted, while he put on his backpack. Well, at least, she was only thirty minutes late this time.

"And, next time, talk to me when your balls have dropped, you squirt!" Jun finished. "Grow a few inches too!" The nine-year-old, who had been the target of this conversation, looked as he was about to cry.

Seto crossed his arms as he strode next to Jun. Even in the designated sailor-styled school uniform, Jun managed to give it her gaudy and obnoxious glamour through many brightly colored accessories. "I see that you've succeeded in scaring younger children. When my classmates were talking about an evil witch, I didn't realize that it was you."

"'Well, you nerd, I'm like not going to just take it when idiots ask me if I got my tan from not showering." Seto didn't respond while his cousin huffed and picked up a bright orange tote bag from the ground. Whatever Jun might have been, her faults did not include a lack of hygiene. The girl carried a hand-sanitizer for personal use at all times.

She started to rave about the negative impact of stereotypes and the ignorance of children, scowling about annoying smart-asses. Seto paid little attention to his cousin's rant. His aunt Hiroko and Jun may have had different philosophies about life and the way they viewed the world, but they shared a similar persistence in the way that they argued, though his aunt was more passive aggressive than her daughter. It was better to not give any further attention to Jun.

Besides, there were more important matters to be concerned about. Lately, his father's behavior had been almost odd. On several nights, his father had been coming home at a later time than usual. When he came, his activities consisted of the usual: eat the dinner that Hiroko prepared, make his usual conversation to Seto, and bring a set of papers to work on while watching television with Seto. At first, Seto found nothing unusual about this; his father often prepared his amusement park plans in a similar manner.

Then, a few nights ago, Seto decided to get a drink of water after his bedtime. As he was about to head down the stairs, he heard something that was extremely unusual from his father's room, the sound of him yelling.

"Leave me alone! Leave me and my kids alone!" Seto pressed his ear against the door and heard the sound of a phone being slammed and footsteps pacing around the room. What scared him more than anything was the tone of desperation in his voice. His father, no matter how annoyed he was, had an unwavering patience, rarely losing his temper. The only time that his father sounded so angry and desperate was when he slapped Seto's face after his rant about Mokuba.

On the next day, Seiji prepared their breakfast, pored through the newspaper, and made his usual small talk before heading off to work. This time, Seto observed that his father's happy tone seemed a bit too upbeat and his smile a bit too forced. It was in that moment that he realized how frail his father looked. In his entire life, Seiji had been the quiet strength, the serenity among the craziness of the world that held everything together and protected it. The possibility that his father could be imperfect and have a moment of weakness was not something that he was sure that he could handle.

"And I got hit on the other day by some pervert when I was at the train station! He thought that I'd actually—" Jun fumed, her fists tightening. "I have an awesome and totally rad sense of fashion, not a sign with the word 'hoochie' tattooed on my forehead. He was sooo freakin' ugly too. I refuse to date balding midgets with six fingers."

Covering his mouth with his hands for a moment, Seto started to laugh.

"Like, what's so funny? You're a pretty boy and a genius, so don't think you understand the woes of the average." His laughter was hearty and open, stopping after a few minutes as the girl glared at him in annoyance. His mouth parted into a closed smile, carrying a mischievous glint in his eye.

"I was imagining the children. They'd be quite the lookers."

"Watch it, kid. A few puppies just died from your sudden dose of laughter." Jun threatened as they waited for the stoplight to change green.

"I'm sure that your mother would be very interested about those—" Seto countered, smiling meaningfully at his aghast cousin, while they crossed the road.

"Stupid child prodigy," Jun grumbled. "Then again, here's the child that hates on his infant for no good reason." Seto stiffened while he trudged along the sidewalk. Jun had no right to discuss about his family. "Oh, am I hitting a nerve? Poor, little widdle Seto Nakamura. Whatever could lil Mokie have done to deserve such hate!"

"Don't talk about something that you don't understand."

"I don't really care, but, even with all his gross diapers and annoying crying, he's much more adorable that you. Plus, your behavior around your little brother upsets your dad, and your silent treatment drama is kind of lame."

"Since when have you cared about my dad?" Seto wasn't blind to her mother's snide remarks to Seiji, the constant criticism, though he never understood the reasoning for it.

"I don't," Jun replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "but I do have plans to make Mokie into Japan's next hotshot model and become his agent, so getting on your father's good side might be smart."

"That's absurd. Besides, you don't have any right," Seto insisted. Besides, he doubted that Jun would put any charade of false friendliness for any extended period of time. His cousin was much too blunt.

"Well, that kid's going to be an adorable child, so I figured that I may as well earn my keep from it." Jun answered. "And it would be unfortunate if my future client suffered a trauma due to a lack of brotherly love."

"Well, that baby killed my mom."

Jun didn't given her usual instant sarcastic comment. Instead, her expression grew more serious, studying him before speaking in an even tone. "Did your father tell you that?"

"No, but my Uncle Brian did. He said if my brother hadn't been born, then my mother wouldn't die. She didn't even say good-bye. If he didn't force himself to come out, my mom would still be here." When his mother was alive, she told him that the due date was supposed to be a couple of weeks later. Why did Mokuba choose to be born earlier? He didn't have that right, and Uncle Brian, whenever he visited his grandparents' house, told him that the baby ruined everyone's lives. _There can be nothing good from such a child. _Those were his uncle's exact words. Uncle Brian was not exactly his favorite relative, but his mother trusted him, and she wouldn't have given such faith to just anyone. That was enough reason for him.

"Do you believe him?" Seto stared at her. Her usual unconcerned and bored expression vanished from her face, though her tone was still taunting as ever. "If he told you to jump off a bridge and kill yourself, would you?"

Seto did not know on what to do about her unswerving gaze, so he did the next best thing. Avoid it. "That's a stupid question. Uncle Brian would never do that. Sometimes, he's a bit tough, but he always let me watch what I wanted on TV."

"Well, if that's your reason, then you must be an idiot. For a person with such a high IQ, you certainly don't use your brain." Seto grimaced, ready to lash out. "You're supposed to use your brain to think for yourself, not let other people tell you what's the truth."

"I do think for myself!" Seto yelled. She had no right to treat him like he was some naive child.

"Right. Then, this makes _tons_ of sense. Your brother, who could barely do anything but cry and poop, is like evil. Crazy, malicious evil. He purposely made your mother die to make you and your father miserable. You know, at least you can remember your mother. When your brother gets older, he's not going know who she was. If you ask me, that doesn't sound like a win-win situation for Mokie." Seto walked hurriedly across the summer path, trying to block the girl's words. "Your so-called wonderful Uncle Brian's acting like the baby."

Neither of them exchanged words to each other in duration of the rest of the walk. As much as Seto disliked her loud voice, the silence was, in its own way, worse. They had just reached the path covered in shrub and bonsai trees that led to their house when they saw a tall brunette in frayed jeans and an old checkered jacket standing outside. When the tall man turned around, his man's blue eyes met his own with a grim expression.

...

"So you're in the second grade now? I thought school's supposed to start in September." Uncle Brian said, grabbing a cigarette lighter from the pocket of his jeans.

"In Japan, term starts in April. I had a vacation for a month," Seto answered, as his uncle played with the lighter. It felt awkward, seeing his uncle seated on the tan couch. His appearance even changed a bit. His face had more stubble across his jaw, and his hair was an inch longer and more matted.

The house itself felt smaller with the tall man, who could easily reach the ceiling and had to duck his head at entrance of the doorways. In Seto's mind, his mother's family remained in America and stayed there; they weren't supposed to burst in randomly and try to coexist with his new life.

"Damn. Second grade, huh? I bet you're the smarty-pants of your class too."

Seto nodded, though he hardly appreciated the derisive tone that his uncle held, as if there was something wrong with his intelligence.

"And that baby?"

A surge of protectiveness flew through Seto at the mention of Mokuba, though he wasn't quite sure why. "He's over a year now. We celebrated his birthday. A lot of people came for his party." A lot was a bit of an understatement. Out of nowhere, relatives and friends, who Seto didn't know existed, showed up, greeting his father with a multitude of smiles, compliments, and presents at the banquet hall of the huge event. Even Seto gained a few presents from the entire ordeal.

"Huh."

"Tell that blockhead to stop smoking," the sixteen-year-old retorted to Seto as she flipped through a shoujo manga that she was reading. English was hardly the girl's best subject, her knowledge basic at best aside from the few curse words that she knew.

"What the hell's that freak babbling about?" Brian asked, his arms against arm rest. "Twitched about the bad make up job that the clown gave her?"

"Actually, Jun's a ganguro girl. That's her actual style." Her sense of fashion, although alarming at first, seemed as a part of her, something expected that it no longer had its original biting effect. "It'd be better if you played with your lighter elsewhere."

"Well, touché. You're growing to be a smart-ass like your mother." A chuckle escaped him, and he slipped it to his pocket. "Looks like you won't be a pansy like your father after all."

That was the final straw. His uncle could not just randomly saunter into his house, play with a lighter casually, and, then, insult his father. Nobody, not even his mother's beloved older brother, was getting away with that. "My father is the furthest thing from pansy. Can you explain why you're here?"

"I'll explain when—"

"Actually, I think that I am very interested in hearing it." The sight of his father in a pantsuit and still in his shoes shocked him. Turning to Seto, he gave a quick smile. "I think I'll take it from here, Seto. Please help your aunt."

...

Leaning against the wooden pillar of the veranda, Brian lit a cigarette and took a quick drag. The acrid smell of smoke pervaded into the air; Seiji wrinkled his nose at its odor. During college he had tried smoking once, though, after he took a drag, he succeeded in choking and coughing profusely than having any form of enjoyment.

His brother-in-law couldn't have chosen a more inconvenient time to arrive. At work, a meeting had been scheduled with the project managers under this department when he got the phone call from Hiroko. She cried that there was some strange foreign man circling around their house. Fortunately, he was able to identify him from her description through the phone. Otherwise, there was a huge likelihood that she would have called the police as she knew little English.

Seeing Brian again, Seiji felt a sudden rush of anger. It was bad enough that the man intruded upon his life in Japan, but the fact that he acted so nonchalant and showed no apology for arriving without some warning irritated him.

"What do you want?" Seiji demanded, a bit more roughly than he intended.

With a cigarette lit in his mouth, Brian paid the Japanese man little attention. "Wow, you're being friendly. If I didn't know better, I'd think you liked me."

"You sort of barged in here without any notice. I think I deserve an explanation."

The taller man's blue eyes surveyed the Japanese man coldly before he giving an answer. "Listen. I'm not here for small talk. I know you don't like me, and I really couldn't give a rat's ass, but I need a favor. We talked about this already."

Seiji snorted. "Wow, if I was ever convinced of helping you, that speech did it. Tell me; what part of 'Leave me and my kids alone' did you not understand?"

Brian flicked the cigarette onto the floor and stomped on it with his worn Doc Marten. No longer slouching, he rose to his full height, his fist tightened with irritation. "I'm not here for me. I'd never want your help if this was about me. Dad, in other words, your father-in-law, is sick. Extremely sick. After you took the kids and ran away to Japan, he was never the same." Confused, Seiji folded his eyebrows as Brian paused. "He's depressed. Dad's in the hospital because he's not eating or taking care of himself. Plus, his blood sugar, which has never excellent to begin with, is high. We need the money to pay the hospital bills and take care of house."

"Why did you threaten me on the phone instead of just saying this?"

"As soon as I introduced the fact that I needed money, you refused. If you can see from my point-of-view, it'd only be natural that I got pissed," Brian retorted.

Taking a deep sigh, Seiji rubbed the blade of his arm. Although Frank and Seiji had their differences, the man was still his children's grandfather. Still, something about Brian's proposal didn't sit well with him. He crossed his arms across his chest, contemplating his next words before saying, "I'm not giving you a penny."

A mix of emotions fell across the hard lines of the older man's face, ending in pure bewilderment. It was unexpected. Seiji wasn't supposed to say no. He didn't have the right. The American pulled Seiji by the sleeves of his overcoat and pushed him against the shoji door. He'd get him to listen. That skinny immigrant would help, even in he had to use violence to do it.

Fear filled Seiji at man's squeezing hold on his arm. Without much effort, Brian's muscular body could easily overwhelm his. Still, he needed to hold ground, say something to cool the man. "Wow, this is familiar."

Perhaps, that was not quite the right choice of words.

The grip tightened further, shooting pain in his arms. "Don't think your son Seto will come to save you. Think about it again. You give me the money, and I'll leave you and your little family in peace."

With a calmness that he did not feel, Seiji asked, "Are you in rehab?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," Seiji proclaimed, putting extra emphasis on the word. "Absolutely everything. I'm aware that Laura's given you tons of money when she was alive. And I also know that she helped you find jobs, often personally applying for you. Let's not pretend about what you're really going to do with the money. You're an addict. Just tell me this. What bar are going to use it at? What fight will you start?" It was not smart, but something in Seiji couldn't bring himself to care. Ever since he read that portfolio, he found himself not bothered about a lot of things.

"Shut up!" Brian winced, though he did not loosen his grip.

No, Seiji thought angrily. Life had been unfair to him without needing to take responsibility for his immature brother-in-law's choices. He was not going to quietly listen anymore. For once, he was going to confront someone that messed up his world and tell them what he actually felt.

"You came all the way to the other side of the world for cash because you can't grow up. I'll help Frank, but I'm not giving you a thing. You poisoned Seto with your lies! Tell me why you are so desperate to blame Mokuba. Laura would have never wanted this. It would break her heart to see her son hate his own brother. Do you have problems? Well, guess what! We all have problems. Start being mature for once and realize your high school glory days are never coming back. Move on!"

It was not entirely unexpected when Brian punched Seiji across his right cheek. "I should have beaten you when I first met you." Shoving Seiji against the door of the house, Brian pushed him against the door till it broke and splattered at the weight. Then, his left had grabbed Seiji by his raven locks as his right fist proceeded to pound the man across the face, back and forth, back and forth. Trying to pull away, Seiji tried loosen the grip and aim some hits but only managed to kick the man a few times in the shins. Seiji suddenly found himself unable to move and felt a hard kick against his ribs. Smarting, Seiji yelped loudly as his eyes began to tear.

He cocked his head towards his brother-in-law, who looked as if he was both angry and confusion. "You killed Laura." Seiji cried, fallen on the tatami-matted floor. His body ached as he tried to pull himself forward. "I don't know how you did, but it's not Mokie's fault. It's yours." This earned one final kick on his thigh, and Brian spoke a few inaudible words, but Seiji could not concentrate on them. Pain was the only thing that he could feel, and everything began to drift away.

...

As Seto dried a plate with his hand, his thoughts were far from the chore that Hiroko assigned him. Seto did not know what was happening, and he hated it.

When his father entered the room, his uncle's expression was far from friendly, almost as if he was sizing him up.

With the exception of last Thanksgiving, it was not something that he ever noticed before. Then again, he found his found his father pinned against the stairs of his grandparents' house. With his attention on their moving and Seiji's casual dismissal of the event, Seto never thought much about it.

Aside from that event, there was no need to believe that there was any animosity between them. Uncle Brian may not have spoken much to his father, but they were always civil to each other. It was a coexistence that Seto just expected without any questions, never stopping to ponder if they actually liked each other. Uncle Brian was Uncle Brian, the irresponsible and lax relative that let him watch movies that he wasn't supposed to, and his father was, well, the responsible family man that was always around and would build the world's greatest amusement park. These were their designated roles. Nothing else.

Yet Seto sensed that something was wrong when his father asked Brian to talk outside. It was the way his father carried himself. His posture was too rigid, and his eyes were far from warm.

After placing a dried plate into the dish rack, he was about to reach for a towel to dry his hands when he heard a hoarse yell. Panic came, leaving a tightened knot into the pit of his stomach. It was coming from the backyard of the house. Not bothering to put on his shoes, he ran to the source of the noise, sliding doors quickly.

His jaw dropped.

The shoji screen of the sliding door was torn, and his father lay in between, awkwardly positioned between the veranda and the inside of the room. Rushing to his father, he knelt beside him and gaped at his father. Several fresh cuts were around his face, and his left cheek looked as it was about to swell. Angry tears streamed from his face. He had trusted Uncle Brian, and that man violated that trust and hurt the person that mattered the most to him.

"Daddy," he crawled against his father. Footsteps followed, but Seto ignored them and their gasps.

"We're going to need to call an ambulance. Seto, you need to step away." He refused to move, clinging onto the battered man. He lost one parent; he couldn't afford to lose another.

...

Sitting on blue side chairs of the waiting room, Seto leaned forward, his knees tucked on his chair and his arms wrapped around his legs. His aunt had chanted a few Buddhist prayers, yet they did not comfort him. His father was never religious, only celebrating holidays, and the prayer did not make the anguish go away. Jun, for once, had the decency to be silent, though she kept annoyingly glancing at him. After a few moments, she strode to a vending machine to get a drink. She hated silence, finding it uncomfortable to coexist with. Not particularly wanting her loud jabbering, Seto still didn't want complete silence. That left him with his thoughts of his father in the hospital room.

"Aba. Ga. Ga. Nana." The infant pointed to Hiroko's to the flowered pattern of her kimono and stared at them intently. Ignoring his coos, Hiroko continued to rock the one-year-old and stared blankly into the whitewashed walls opposite her.

Seto glanced at his brother. The infant's round cheeks were similar to his own, but his hair was raven like his father, having the same thick texture. The baby plucked at his aunt's garments, while he sucked with his right thumb, oblivious to irritated sighs of his aunt. Then it finally hit him. The only other person who truly mattered to his father, other than himself, was Mokuba. It was such an obvious fact, and something that he had known before, but that knowledge never hit Seto as strongly as that moment.

His aunt stood up and asked, "Seto, could you hold Mokie? I need to go to restroom." Not waiting for answer, she plopped the baby onto his lap and hurried to a nearby lavatory.

He hesitated, holding the child awkwardly in his arms. Surely the infant must have known how much he once hated him; Seto could imagine how he would be accused now of his former actions. Instead, the infant's slate-colored eyes stared into his. His golden-colored hands grabbed onto Seto's index finger and held it tightly. The boy led out a small chuckle, giving a wide grin across his face, and small amount of drool covered his mouth.

With the bib that hung around his brother's neck, he wiped away the drool. "Mokie, that's disgusting," Seto reprimanded. Mokuba stuck a thumb into mouth and sucked on it, almost defiantly. The blue-eyed boy frowned, but he felt no anger. Clearly, his brother was hopeless without him.

* * *

Roland Isono is Roland's name in the story because his English name is Roland, and his Japanese name is Isono. Seiji calls Roland Isono because, in Japan, people call people that they are not necessarily very close or family by their last name.

I don't own or dislike Totoro. In fact, that movie's my first exposure to Japanese animation.

And here's one final chap before I leave. I will be out of the country and am not updating till November. (Unless I can figure out something...)

* * *

To **Atem's sister Atea**, sorry to disappoint you but Seto and Jou are not going to go on a playdate. But the idea's been rolling in my mind after you mentioned and I might do what if oneshot with that idea after I come back. No promises though

To **MythCreatorWriter**, I'm thrilled that you liked that V8 commercial that I came up with. And I suppose I love the cameos. By the way, that was extremely observant of you to see Duke. I think you might have been the only one who mentioned it in their review so far. As for Isono and Roland, I use them both because Roland is his first name and I use his last name Isono for when Seiji calls him. In Japanese, to call them by their first name is a sign of closeness. While Seiji and Roland are friends, they are colleagues and are not that close. As for the play date, I'll think about it as a what if oneshot when I come back because Seto and Jou aren't supposed to meet yet. Always thrilled to hear from you.

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, I'm glad that you enjoyed the interaction with the parents. I figured it would be a nice change if they didn't hate each other.

To **evil sasuke girl**, for once I updated soon in a long time. Enjoy this chapter. Love your reviews.

To **Noc and NC**, Katsuya was my favorite character when I watched the show. It was fanfiction that got me interested in Kaiba's character. I'm supposed to be vague about your review and am going to say that he has gotten into something very big and quite dangerous. It is something that can quite alter one's viewpoint. As for that, I hope to read your story when I come back or when I can borrow somebody's computer. I'm not bringing my laptop, sadly.

To **NiniEatsSushi**, first of all, I love your name. (ffnet's not allowing me to put the periods) And love sushi. But those unimportant matters aside, I'm glad you're enjoying and I was foreshadowing. Hope you keep enjoying the story as well.

To **Zoelle**, I figured that the Jonouchi family would be more appreciated than a bunch of OCs. Plus, Katsuya's probably my favorite character on the show.

To **hatandkill_d**, Happy belated birthday! I hope you had tons of fun. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.


	17. A Well Respected Man

**Chapter 17 – A Well-Respected Man**

1/28/10

**Disclaimer**: Yu-gi-oh's not mine. Neither is the name of the chapter. Belongs to the Kinks.

**Notes:** I'm so sorry for not updating. My trip was a great experience, but I lacked computer access. I couldn't update after I came back from vacation because I got the flu among many other things.

**Summary:** Life goes on in Japan as the Nakamura family attempt to move on from Laura's death. Seiji works for KaibaCorp as a manager. After drinking at a bar with his colleague, Seto's father Seiji finds a dying old man in the alleyway, who tells him that Gozaburo Kaiba is a murderer. Seiji does some investigation at the man's apartment and finds a portfolio with shocking information. Time passes, and Seto returns from school with Jun to find his mother's older brother Brian at his house. Speaking to Seiji, Seto's uncle reveals that his father is in the hospital and needs money for medical bills. When Seiji refuses, Brian loses his temper and beats him so badly that he is sent to the hospital.

* * *

Roland stepped off the elevator as it opened to the seventh floor. In one hand, he held several manila folders and straightened the jacket of his already ironed dark pantsuit. The door behind him closed as he headed towards an office filled with many cubicles. The sound of furious typing ensued as he passed by. Soon the employees would clock out for the day, but, knowing his workload, Roland would probably remain at the office for the rest of the night. He still needed to finish research for Gozaburo's latest project.

At the far end of the floor, a square adjoined office's door was closed. Roland paused before knocking at the pinewood door. He had to hear the facts from him; surely there couldn't be any truth to those office rumors.

"Come in," a voice replied absent-mindedly. Roland opened the door, noting that a medium-sized box atop a metal desk filled with a few miscellaneous items. The whitewashed room, if possible, seemed barer than before.

Seiji Nakamura's face focused onto the computer screen.

"Is it true?"

Seiji turned to face Roland, an eyebrow raised quizzically. A thin deep scar spread across his right cheek, one of his many remnants from Seiji's mysterious injuries. Roughly a year ago, Seiji took a sick leave for two weeks, and, when he returned to work, he arrived with an arm in a cast and bandaged cuts that he never explained. Whenever Roland asked his friend, Seiji laughed and changed the topic to something else.

"If what's true, Isono?"

"Are you quitting KaibaCorp?"

Interlacing his fingers together and placing his arms onto the desk, Seiji nodded.

"I don't understand, Nakamura. Why?" Roland wanted to know why his friend never told him about this decision; the two of them hadn't talked to each other as of late, but this was due to work, right?

"KaibaCorp isn't the right fit for me," Seiji answered, sounding almost practiced. Roland couldn't help but notice how tired the manager appeared. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and skin under his eyes seemed more sunken in than ever.

"Nakamura, you've been avoiding this question for some time, but tell me where you got those injuries from."

Suddenly, Seiji found the wall behind Roland to be interesting and avoided his friend's gaze. "It's personal."

"I'm listening."

Seiji's back tensed slightly as he refrained from twiddling his thumbs. "Well, the issue's been dealt with, so none of this matters anymore. My brother-in-law wanted money from me, so he came to visit. You can say that this was his present when I refused."

Roland's eyes widened. Seiji's injuries must have included stitches across his face and broken bones arm aside from the heavy bruising and swelling that he endured. "How can you be so calm? Press charges!" Roland exclaimed.

"I sent a restraining order. I'm not interested in anything more. Anyway my mother-in-law begged for me to do nothing. It seems that, aside from my father-in-law's hospital bills, my wonderful brother-in-law had major debts with some shady people. I should have expected that," Seiji commented. "Of course, all of them hate me now."

"But you're the victim…" Roland asked, confused.

Seiji chuckled darkly. "As far as my in-laws are concerned, I'm the yellow monkey son-in-law that they never wanted. I don't care anymore. I'm beyond fed up with trying to prove myself to them."

Seiji's matter-of-fact tone and deadpan expression proved difficult to reply back to. In his black pantsuit, the older man looked as if he made commentary on some dull and unexciting news story, not his life problems. Most people fell apart with this level of stress, but Seiji seemed too collected aside from, in Roland's personal opinion, brash decision. "Let me know if you need anything. I could have helped you. A good lawyer—" His beeper started to ring.

"I've got more important issues to deal with. To be honest, I'm more worried for you. Gozaburo's still your boss."

"You have some sort of financial plan, right?"

Seiji smirked. "I wouldn't just quit if I didn't, Isono. I'll try and find something else. It might be lower-paying, but it's worth the stress."

"Huh?" Roland asked as he glanced up from reading his beeper.

A small smile played upon Seiji's lips while he rose from the gray office chair.

"Besides, my kids' futures don't depend on KaibaCorp. To be honest, this might be the smartest decision I ever made. Well, it's not goodbye, Isono. Take care of yourself." After placing a briefcase into the cardboard box, Seiji's hands picked it up and held it tightly. He led his friend out of the office, locked the door, and headed toward the elevator for one last time.

...

A nearby businessman noticed the former manager's cardboard box and gave a sympathetic look.

Ignoring him, Seiji steadily walked amidst the crowds. The evening hustle and bustle of the business district of Domino City slowed down for no one, particularly for an unemployed member of society.

A cool summer breeze hit Seiji, but it did little relax his tightly wound knot in his stomach. Within a few blocks, he would reach the train station, but he had one more task left to do. His lean body tightened as he forced himself to walk to a telephone booth at the corner of the street. His hands trembled as he opened the door.

Placing down his belongings on the ground and closing the door behind him, the man grabbed a wallet from his hands. He put the required number of bills into the slot and picked up the receiver of the phone. His back hunched as he dialed numbers on the touch pad.

The phone rang softly as Seiji hunched against the back. The worst part about a phone call was waiting, particularly when one was filled with the awkward hope that the other end of line would not pick up.

"Hello, Domino Gazette, how may I help you?" a woman asked.

There was a saying that ignorance was bliss, and Seiji found himself believing in it. Perhaps, he could hang up, pretend he knew nothing, and never become involved in this fiasco. Deliver the documents in an anonymous way. Maybe he could leave it this woman's office as an anonymous tip.

"Hello?" Her voice seemed etched with irritation from the lack of response.

It could never be ensured that they were given to the correct person. The journalist, the tweed jacket man who he found in the alley of the ground, died for the truth, and Seiji would be disrespecting his memory if he did anything else. "I got this number from Takahashi Isamu. This is the extension of Kaori, is it not?"

"Mr. Takahashi no longer works here. He passed away." Her tone was curt.

"I know." Seiji twirled the cord. "I'm here because I think I know why. First, I need to ask you something to make sure you can be trusted. Do you know his grandson's nickname?"

"Duke. He brought that kid to the office once and played a dice game with me once. The boy's obsessed with them. It told him that he reminded me of nobility with the way he paraded himself, so his grandfather called him Duke." The woman laughed, no longer holding any of her previous hostility. Seiji felt slightly absurd about this entire ordeal. She stopped laughing, her voice sounding serious. " Do you realize how dangerous this is?"

"Yes, but I could never live with a clean conscience if I didn't do something about it. Takashi Isamu came up with solid proof that could take down KaibaCorp."

"What kind of information?"

"KaibaCorp claims to be dealing with a major financial crisis, but Takahashi's research shows that KaibaCorp's raking in profits. None of them are shown legally, of course."

"KaibaCorp's been suspected of ruthless business practices, but we've never had any proof on them. What have you got?"

This was now or never. "There's a civil war in Crawanda. It's occurring between two tribes. The government represents one tribe, while a terrorist group leads the other. As you already know, the government has been suspected of killing members of the opposite tribe."

"Some label it as genocide. Is KaibaCorp selling arms to that government?"

Seiji's hands gripped the phone tightly. "Yes, but there's more. They're selling to both groups."

"They're double-dealing?" The woman cried excitedly, uttering a few curse words afterwards. "KaibaCorp could get shut down for this. This is the story of a lifetime. Tons of civilians have been dying for the last few years. It's almost an extermination."

"That's not it. If you remember correctly, this conflict started because a Kutsi group is supposedly responsible for an attack on a prominent member of the Crawandan parliament."

Silence permeated before she gasped. "KaibaCorp."

"That's right. They've both been killing each other for nothing. KaibaCorp's responsible. They instigated the entire thing."

...

"What do you mean you quit your job?"

"It means I'm currently unemployed," Seiji answered as he grabbed a yogurt from the kitchen counter. He had changed from his suit into more casual clothes, a white polo shirt and a pair of dark sweats. Nearby, the sound of laughter erupted from the living room as a comedy game show played on the television.

"Explain yourself," Hiroko insisted, her eyes narrowed as her arms crossed against her kimono-clad chest. She had been warming a pot of tea when Seiji made this announcement, but, evidently, her cousin was an imbecile and needed her sound advice. What kind of man left a well-paying job in the middle of an economic recession?

After loosening the collar around his neck, Seiji dug into the snack, ignoring the patronizing look in Hiroko's brown eyes.

His cousin didn't seem ready relent himself as she continued to stare at him eat before choosing her words. "Seiji, you are a damn fool. I suppose you're planning to use your extra time after canvassing for your amusement park. Well, good luck with that. If you were more practical, you'd spend time in making the most of yourself, like getting married."

Seiji took another spoonful from his yogurt. Recently, Hiroko attempted to arrange a blind date with her friend's daughter, and apparently, still felt held sour feelings at his immediate refusal. "I'm not interested in getting married. Hiroko, don't treat me like a child."

Shifting towards the oven, Hiroko scoffed as she turned off the front burner. "You'd be lost without me, Seiji, so stop putting on airs."

"There's something else that I need to discuss." Seiji tossed the empty yogurt can into a wastebasket. "Since I'll be home more, I'll be taking care of Seto and Mokuba on my own."

Her head lowered with her posture still perfect, before she spoke. "What are you saying?"

"Hiroko, I am grateful for everything that you did, but I'll take care of my kids on my own. As I'm unemployed now and will be at home, I wouldn't be able to pay—"

"Are you forgetting everything I did?"

Seiji chose not to retort. The additional income that she made from caring for her nephews, which was very generous, helped support Hiroko's bills. He knew that Hiroko's husband did make much income as a salaryman, but Seiji couldn't afford to pay his cousin now.

"I took care of your children. I made you food. Even if you disgraced our name, even if your children have filthy American blood, I—"

"I think it's best if you leave," Seiji interrupted coolly. The shorter woman composed herself before heading towards the living room. She grabbed a canvass bag by the sofa and commanded Jun to follow. The platinum-haired teenager, along with Seto, overheard the end of the conversation from the sofa, but felt her mother was overreacting.

"Mom, come on. Just chill out."

"Seiji Nakamura, mark my words. I'll never set foot on this house while you're alive." She paid little attention to her daughter 's protests and left to front of door to grab her sandals.

Staring confusedly at her uncle, Jun paused before rising and following her mother. As if nothing particularly interesting had happened, Seiji seated himself on the wooden loveseat.

"When were you going to tell us?" Seto asked, almost accusingly. His father should have first told him, not let him find out about this situation in such an absurd way.

"Seto, I'm sorry. I just need to take a break from work and take care of things at home." Seiji glanced at his son as he continued to glare and a pang of guilt fell upon him. Amidst the craziness of his life, his sons' mere presence saved him in ways that they couldn't possibly comprehend. "Seto, I promise we'll be okay."

Seto said nothing. Before this interruption, he, Jun, and Mokuba were watching a ridiculous game show, but this was a hardly welcome break.

He observed his father's exhausted appearance as Seiji plopped Mokuba from the sofa onto his lap. Now, that he thought about it, his father's frame seemed thinner than ever.

After Brian's unexpected appearance, his father became more dependent on Seto, particularly in duration of his injury. He seemed more burdened with work, arriving later at night than usual. Still, no matter how busy he became, Seiji found time to check over his homework, even though it was always correct, or arrive at Seto's school events, although a bit late.

Seto watched as Seiji tickled the two-year-old, who giggled profusely. During the past year, it became Seto's unofficial responsibility care for Mokuba, whether it meant helping change diapers or toilet training. His relationship with his brother was no longer cemented with its former scorn.

"We should go to the park," Seiji proclaimed as his younger son clapped his hands excitedly.

His father's logic, or how he simply came to this absurd idea so abruptly, took him aback. "It's late."

"It's a beautiful summer evening, and it's about time the three of us truly enjoyed it. What do you say, Mokie?" The toddler nodded fervently in agreement. "Okay, that settles it. Mokie says we're going to the park. Grab your sneakers."

When they arrived, only a few stragglers remained, either relaxing at a bench or walking their dog. Fireflies roamed lazily among them. A breeze of cool air hit him, and it felt refreshing against his skin. His white cotton polo shirt clung comfortably to him, feeling freer than those restrictive dress shirts he wore for work.

The community park boasted nothing unique. It had the usual components of any park: a kiddie playground, a baseball field, and a simple pathway. Several bonsai trees, bushes, and larger plants surrounded the pathway. A walk among its greenery usually calmed him, or in this case, a quick run.

"This is ridiculous." Seto grumbled, already several feet behind his father.

Propped on his shoulders, Mokuba jumped excitedly. "Run, Daddy. Run"

"Hey, it's not fair. Your legs are longer than mine," Seto complained. Seiji stopped when he reached the end of the line. He couldn't help but smile. His son looked so adorable in blue t-shirt and white shorts.

He waited for his son to reach him, expecting Seto would probably sulk at his loss. Enjoying that small moment was all he could do because inside he was falling apart.

* * *

Reviews appreciated. More means a MUCH faster update.

* * *

To **Atem's Sister Atea**, Brian does suck but he clearly needs help. Seiji is the only one who understands that. As for what happened to Seiji, I guess you already know. Will Brian get life in parole? (Shuts mouth with zipper)

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Brian is really screwed up and needs a serious reality check. I enjoyed my trip.

To **MythCreatorWriter**, I adore your lengthy reviews. They make me happy. I added the little bit of Duke, just cause I had to do a cameo. With a story that's heavily about an OC, why not add cameos? To be honest I have no idea what Totoro is. I always assumed he was an extremely odd bear. Seto is a baby for thinking Mokuba will hate him. Hell, Seto's still incredibly immature about many things as an adult. Jun is pretty serious and, although not quite book smart, she's quite good grasp on other things. It's part of the reason why she's so rebellious

To **ml101**, I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. I'm sorry for not updating sooner.

To **Sakura Takanouchi**, I didn't reveal Brian's full intention to come to Japan to leave a bit of mystery. Although he wants to help his parents, he got in a lot of trouble with shady people because, well, he's Brian. I don't want to reveal too much about Aunt Hiroko, but she's not exactly a good person.

To **Hateandkill_d**, sorry for not updating. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I do adore chibi Seto and baby Mokie. Chibi Seto's such a brat.

To **Zoelle**, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Brian had to come back. Even though he's a horrible person, he's so much fun to write.

To **Meconopsis**, I had to do the YGOTAS reference. You and everyone hates Brian. I'm sure there re some inventive ways to kill him somewhere. I'm glad you liked the ending with Seto and Mokuba. I was going for some level of sappiness without being downright cheesy. Enjoy this chapter

To **A person who loves your story**, I'm so sorry I didn't update. I honestly planned on updating in November, but life's been crazy. Thank you for waiting for me and getting me focused on this story.


	18. Part of This Disease

**Chapter 18 – Part of This Disease**

2/5/10

**Disclaimer:** I won't ever own Yu-gi-oh. Ever. I do own the OCs and aspects of the plot. Honestly, I don't get the point of writing disclaimers on a fanfiction website. It just feels like a waste of writing time.

* * *

The female journalist stared at a picture before returning it back into the brown portfolio. She closed her eyes and rubbed her eyelids before speaking. "We've suspected KaibaCorp of illegal activity, but never this. I can't believe they instigated a civil war, so they could make an extra buck." In the photo, a dark-skinned child of eight years lay in between what appeared to be several body parts, bleeding and seriously injured.

Seiji sat quietly, his arms rested on the round table situated in a corner of the establishment. For several nights, that photo haunted him, having the knowledge that he worked for a company that profited from such brutality.

During the phone call, Takahashi's colleague Kaori agreed to meet him at an out-of-the-way tavern about a few miles from Domino City. Seiji had his reservations, staying up till the late hours of night and pondering if it would be better to cancel on this arrangement. It was not as if he hadn't looked into the woman's credibility before he contacted her. Takahashi Isamu trusted this woman, the thirty-two-year-old reminded himself as he paced in his room. More importantly, Seiji trusted his own research.

The appearance of her chosen establishment hardly eased his nerves. It was almost too stereotypically sleazy to be true that Seiji felt tempted to pinch himself when he arrived. The yellowish paint on walls was peeling, and the wooden tables and chair were either rotting or covered with heavy graffiti. The few people at the counter, who appeared at least ten years older than him, huddled on bar stools and seemed miserable.

Kaori, an attractive woman in her early twenties, seemed so out-of-place here, but she didn't seem to notice. She sipped her beer as she read over another document, adjusting the baseball cap that she donned over her loose raven hair.

"KaibaCorp hired a private military corporation for the initial attack, but the soldiers didn't need to do much after they assassinated the parliament member. Conflict has been common between those two tribes for a long time, so it was easy for KaibaCorp to manipulate them. Takahashi never found the name of the mercenaries that they hired, so I did a little research. Everything that you need for your article is there."

Kaori straightened the papers and placed them into the portfolio. She deposited it into an over-sized leather bag.

"Nakamura, it must be hard for you to have seen Takahashi die." Her hands fell on his, resting softly on his. Seiji jerked his hands away, and for a fleeting moment, Kaori appeared a bit hurt.

"I thought Takahashi meant that Gozaburo killed someone when he called him a murderer," Seiji commented, uncomfortable with her gesture. It had been only a couple of days, since he called her.

"He might not have picked up the gun and triggered it, but, in my eyes, Gozaburo's just as responsible. Takahashi wasn't just a colleague—he was my mentor. He deserves justice." Seiji didn't answer. A strong sense of relief filled him, just knowing that someone else shared this burden. "Are you sure that you don't want some sort of compensation?"

"I'm positive." Anything offered would have felt like blood money to Seiji. He just wanted to leave this bar and stop living each day in constant fear.

Seiji grabbed a few bills from his worn down wallet and put down a tip. He pushed his rickety stool and gave a quick wave to Kaori before leaving.

The creaky door swung, and the scorching outdoors brought some semblance of fresh air. The musty smell of dust and alcohol that permeated in the establishment still overpowered his nose. He hoped that it hadn't gotten into his clothes. The last thing he needed were any questions from Seto, who was more observant than the average adult.

Seiji stepped off a curb where he parked his silver Honda Civic. Opening the door with his keys, Seiji sat in the driver's seat and closed the door. After starting the ignition, pulled from the curb and shifted to the empty road.

Beads of sweat formed across his forehead, and Seiji quickly dabbed the sleeve of his shirt against them. With Seto and Mokuba at a neighbor's home and the meeting ended much sooner than he expected, Seiji could pick up ice cream from the grocery store. The three of them could sit down in the kitchen and enjoy the cool dessert, and then, they could go to the park and relax in the shade. Push Mokie on the baby swings. Let Seto hang from the monkey bars.

Those small moments mattered, and he never wanted to miss them. Seiji wondered what his eighteen-year-old self might have thought of his current state: unemployed, a single father, and no closer to his amusement park dream than he had been a year ago. Then again, he was a naive foreigner in America with nothing but hopes for his future.

More sweat dripped on his body, and he quickly fiddled with the knob for the air conditioner so he could cool his face. He sighed as it blew cold air and held tightly to the steering wheel. The streets were relatively empty, aside from a truck that drove on the opposite road.

Glass splintered to a thousand pieces, and his head snapped back. There was so much pain that it didn't occur to him that the truck had swerved into the front of his car. It didn't occur to him that several shards of glass stuck deeply across his face or the screech of the vehicle as it drove way.

Tears filled his eyes as he thought of the one thing he'd never have. A future.

...

Holding a brown portfolio with one hand, Kaori strutted into a well-furnished office. Grinning, she leaned towards a fruitwood executive desk and dropped the item onto it. She seated herself on an opposite chair as the man gave her scornful look.

The suited man carefully flipped through the pages, scrutinizing for any false leads. He gave her annoyed look as the journalist leaned against the chair's back.

"Everything's there. I'll be collecting my cash soon."

The man ignored the journalist as he closed the portfolio. He grabbed the receiver of the phone and dialed on the touchpad. "Everything's been taken care of." He hung up after a few moments, picked up a briefcase by his desk, and handed it to her. "The cash is here along with evidence for your next story. In here, there are documents of illegal corporate activity by Sustantivo Inc."

She flipped open a silver briefcase, full of money and official looking papers, and picked them up. After browsing through the documents, the journalist smiled. "Hmm...Are you using me to take down the competition? How sneaky of you, Isono." She closed the briefcase.

Roland said nothing, only pressing his hands against his forehead.

She leaned toward the desk and picked up a pen before saying anything. "You know, I'd almost think that you felt sorry about killing this Nakamura fellow."

"He was a good man."

"So was Takahashi. That didn't stop you from hiring a gunman."

Roland said nothing as confusion entered his eyes.

"It looks like they've upgraded your office. Nice place. You're getting a bigger salary too."

Roland's face looked pained. "Don't—"

"You worked so hard to get where you are. When I called you and informed you his name, you could have easily stopped everything." She leaned closer towards him. "You know what would happen if that story was exposed. KaibaCorp's image would be devastated, and that would completely hurt the Japanese economy. We're already facing a recession. Let's also not forget that your position in all of this. In the big picture, people like Seiji Nakamura don't matter."

Closing his eyes, Roland pinched the bridge of his nose. Guilt overwhelmed him, but he was too deeply entrenched in the scandal to remain unscathed. Eventually, the authorities would arrest him. During those deals Roland had been the messenger. He opened his eyes and asked the journalist to leave. Seiji Nakamura would have to be the sacrifice. He was just one man among billions, someone who would be forgotten.

* * *

To **Atem's Sister Atea**, I loved your review. You can send Brian to the Shadow Realm. He deserves it. As for Alister, he's got nothing to do with the Crawanda. Crawanda is an imaginary country inspired by Rwanda (see lack of originality) in Africa that had an actual genocide. I made up a lot of the events to suit the story. Hiroko's dislike of Americans isn't as that uncommon, sadly. There's a common misconception that Americans are ignorant, lazy, and a bit of a bully. I know this because people have been surprised that I don't act like a "usual American," whatever that means. As for Seiji, he doesn't anything wrong with him physically, at least in Chapter 17. Seiji's just emotionally distressed and having a hard time putting up the façade that he put for his children.

To **A person who loves your story**, I'm glad I can make your day better and hope you enjoy my double update. Bad days suck. It would be awesome if Foreigner was animated because I could use the extra cash. Alas, not mine.

To **evil sasuke girl**, I'm glad you enjoyed Seto/Mokuba interaction. They are adorable, and hope you enjoy this chap as well.

To **MythCreatorWriter**, you don't need to worry about cursing because I don't censor. It'd be hypocritical of me to do so, when Jun and the other characters using bad language in the story. I only dislike spam because that's just rude. I'm glad that the story made sense after all of this time. That was one of my worries because I draw a lot of little details from many parts of the story. Thanks for pointing out that part with Isono, I'll fix it when I can. Duke must have been an adorable, egotistical child. He must have been getting attention, just like when he was an adult. And I'm guessing you already read what happened to Seiji. I'm hoping everything makes sense.

To **Ash Kaiba**, Thank you for the compliments. I'm extremely glad you enjoyed this story and the V8 joke. I was much too tempted to let that one go. Enjoy the rest of Foreigner.

To **Shroud Ishtar**, I'm so glad you like this story. I haven't seen many Kaiba childhood stories, particularly about the parents, so that's why I wrote it. It makes me happy that you like that Seto was developed; I was worried that people would think that be impatient with the beginning chapters.

To **Zoelle**, well, Seiji did try to take down KaibaCorp. I wish I didn't need to kill him, but there'd be no story if I didn't.

To **Noc and NC**, cameos are fun to write because I do believe that people are connected in the most random, unexpected way. While I have lost a lot of interest in fanfiction, I still have interest in your story because your characters seem realistic, and it has a good plot. As for Jun, I'm glad you like her. She's one of those ambiguous characters that the readers can decide on. Personally, I loved writing her.

To **The Duelist's Heiress**, I'm really glad that you like it so far. I saw your review right before I watched Lost, so that made me extra happy.

To **Meconopsis**, thank you for your compliments. Enjoy your other chapter as well.


	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

2/5/10

**Disclaimer:** I've been to the other side of the world, but I don't know Yu-gi-oh.

**Note:** Thank you for supporting Foreigner! This was my first completed multi-chapter story, and that probably wouldn't have happened without your words (and favs/alerts). Seriously. This story was originally a one-shot, and I didn't get any kind of responses for over a month. You guys are amazing.

* * *

"Mr. Kaiba, we'd like to thank you for your contribution to children's social services. America's children will be thankful. You are truly blessed," a blond woman in her mid-twenties cried fervently. A black shimmering dress adorned her slim body with matching platinum jewelry to accessorize.

"I expect that you put it to good use. It would be a waste if it was found in other pockets." His tone was blunt, causing the woman to stutter before she gathered her composure.

"Well, it's always pleasant to see you." Her lips forced a smile, one that did not enter her light blue eyes. He smirked as she left to speak to a middle-aged businessman. People like her were easy to read. Many of these so-called charitable contributors were hypocrites, using these benefits to gain a mention or photo opportunity in the society pages.

His eyes scanned the room. Elegantly dressed men and women gathered in small groups and conversed. Decorated with red and gold banners, the hall held many round tables, mostly unoccupied, where people would soon sit for the evening meal. A few musicians played soft classical music on a small stage, while several waiters served platters of appetizers and drinks. He glanced at his watch. It was almost six o'clock, and the dinner would be served soon.

Nearby a group of middle-aged men and women laughed to a joke. Overhearing the remnants of the conversation, he found it to be neither tasteful nor particularly humorous. Perhaps, it would better to leave, having fulfilled his major obligation. He had made his appearance, given his donation, and even struck a little conversation, which was more than most should expect. He never enjoyed parties to begin with, and this one was no less monotonous.

Gathering his long coat from an attendant at the coatroom, he placed it over his black tux and headed towards the exit of the beige-painted hallway. At the end of the corridor, a tall janitor was mopping the floor. "Watch it! The floor's wet."

The CEO paid no attention to the uniformed employee as he walked towards the doors. The man's voice was rough, speaking with certain assertiveness that most people dared not attempt with him, but he had no interest in putting the man in his place at the moment.

"Wait, you're..." the man's voice trailed off, as if in shock.

"Congratulations, you've recognized the president of KaibaCorp. Now get out of my way." The man smelled strongly of Clorox cleaner and cigarettes, hardly a pleasant combination.

"No. Not that. You're Seto Nakamura. Laura's son." Seto stopped himself from gasping. No one had spoken his surname or his mother's first name in years, particularly with such familiarity. "It's me. Your Uncle Brian."

Seto observed the Caucasian man, seeing a resemblance to the gruff relative who he once knew. The face no longer held any of its previous youthfulness, set deeply with fine lines and wrinkles. There were several gray strands in his shaggy brown mane, which appeared more unkempt than it used to. His stubble had grown into a full beard, and his muscular physique, although still impressive, was less imposing than before.

"I can't believe how you've grown up. Man, you look a bit like Laura too. I don't know if you remember this, but I used to come to your house a lot when Laura was alive. I taught you how to throw a football, remember?" Brian chuckled nervously with Seto's lack of response. Seto inherited several of Laura's features, but there was a hardened severity to his demeanor that she lacked. "Look, I'm not saying that I was the best uncle or anything, but I'm sorry for not taking you in. I was messed up."

Seto's face was emotionless as he surveyed his uncle's apologetic face. When he last saw this man, his father had been forced into the emergency room. He could never forget the memories of his father's bloodied face, the look of his pulverized body, or the fear he felt when he found his father's body as it was thrust between the broken shoji screen of their house.

"I couldn't take you. Your dad made it that way." Brian's hands tightened his grip on the mop. "In the will he left you to those Japanese cousins of yours. He left them to take care of everything. I can't pretend that I'd be any good at taking care of you, but, hey, maybe it's better that way. Look at you. You're fuckin' Seto Kaiba. I guess you're better off."

Aunt Hiroko dropped his brother and him to the orphanage in Domino City after claiming she couldn't afford to care for them anymore. She extorted everything from his father's account, saying she needed the extra income to care for them. On the day they left, Jun never said good-bye, choosing to lock herself in her room and blare angry pop music on her boom box.

This was his chance to destroy his uncle, to make him feel the pain that his father felt. Seto's fists tightened. The only thing he had left of Seiji Nakamura was his memories. They burned in him as his father's body did when it was cremated. He remembered as his father's casket was placed into the crematorium or as the ashes became buried in the grave, and all he could do was hold Mokuba's hands tightly into his. All he could do was attempt to comfort his sibling and tell him that they needed to move on with their lives. Just as most of his childhood, his father's car accident happened so unexpectedly, leaving his future to be decided by others.

"Can we leave soon? Isono's got the limo ready, and Mrs. Parker's bugging me about this upcoming gala." Seto turned to the source of the boyish voice that came from the other end of the hallway. Mokuba stood confidently in a black tux, his grayish-blue eyes appearing a bit agitated. He walked next to his brother and peered curiously at the taller man opposite his brother. "Seto, who's he?"

"Nobody. Just trash." Seto answered. He turned away from Brian and strode towards double doors, opening them. Mokuba gave a quick apologetic smile before following. Seto Michael Nakamura no longer existed, and the people from his childhood no longer mattered. His parents were a distant memory and held no place in his future.

* * *

THE END


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